


A New Gaurdian

by BlackBloodedGirl



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-01-23 18:30:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 39,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1575284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackBloodedGirl/pseuds/BlackBloodedGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would happen if there were two new guardians necessary to defeat Pitch? Join Samhain, Jack and the rest of the Guardians for a thrilling adventure trying to protect the children of earth from the long feared, Boogeyman!</p><p>This work was originally done on Quizilla. So if you remember it from there, that was me ^_^<br/>Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the guardians, nor am I profiting from the creation of this story</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Samhain's name is not pronounced the way it is spelt. It is pronounced So-win :)

The first thing I can remember was the night I woke. I had woken in a forest. I had been lying in grassy clearing. The leaves were falling from the trees, and it was cold as ice. There was frost on the ground that didn't bother me, all I cared about were the trees and the fact that it was night time. It was almost pitch black, but I was somehow comfortable being in this place. A place that would scare many others, but didn't bother me in the least. I stood up, a bit wobbly on my feet and looked towards the sky. The moon was huge! and beautiful and with it's light I was able to make it to the pond. I saw a boy skating around, playing. I watched in fascination as he dragged what looked like a shepherds cane on the ground, and frost followed it. He looked like he was enjoying himself. Until he saw me. He looked at me. He had piercing blue eyes, snowy white hair, and the palest skin I had ever seen. We stared at each other for a while, then he jumped up and flew off.

I staggered towards the pond, and looked at the ice. I could see my reflection. I had blackish purple hair, like a raven,colored hair with red and orange streaks through it, I was pal, nearly as pale as the boy, but not quite, and my eyes. My eyes were black with flecks of red. It shocked me to see that color in eyes.I stared at my reflection for a while, then I looked at my hands. They looked normal. Just abnormally pale, and I realized my hair fell to my waist. My eyes widened and I ran off. My own reflection scared me. I ran back to where I had woken. Sitting in the middle of the clearing was a staff. It looked like a tree branch, and it had a glass jack-o-lantern on the top, and sprouting from the top of the pumpkin were vines, winding down the branch. I picked it up, and then I heard it. It was almost as if the wind whispered it to me, and I knew it was my name.

300 years later

My name is Samhain. I am a demon, and I am the spirit of Halloween and fall. I live alone in the woods, the woods where I woke. I remember nothing from before that. The only person I ever have visit is Jack frost, but he doesn't come very often. he knows that I don't like people. the thing is he doesn't know why, and I know he is dying to know. I don't want to hurt anyone, so I keep to myself. There is no need to have people around when you don't need them. I am a part demon, and I learned a long time ago that if I care for people they usually end up hurt. I cant have that happen anymore. I looked down at the ground, my cat licorice was rubbing against my legs.

"Hey girl. How are you doing?" I asked picking her up and scratching behind her ears. Halloween was in a few days. That was one of the very few days that I left my home. I made my wings come out of my skin. My wings were able to meld to my skin, so I could make them come and go as I please. They were a leathery black, and looked a lot like a bat's wings. I smiled as I picked up my staff and flew a little farther into the woods. My pumpkin patch was growing there. This was where I grew all of the Jack-o-lanterns. The Easter bunny grew eggs, Santa made toys, and I grew Jack-o-lanterns. I looked at them all, they were looking lovely. Some scary and some funny, and they were all perfect. I smiled to myself. I heard a rustle behind me, but realized it was just Jack.

"Yes?" I asked quietly, stooping to look at a particularly scary pumpkin, and put it with the ones to put at children's doors on Halloween.

"Whats wrong?" He asked, "You seem upset." He said.

"I'm not. You always think that. You just don't like my quietness," I said grinning at him. He smiled back.

"Then what are you up to?" he asked.

"Halloweens in a few days. You know my job," I said with a shrug, "I have to make sure all of the kids are able to find the humor in fear," I said standing a bit, "you know that Jack. I may not be a guardian but I do have a job," I said. He looked at me.

"I know. Just curious. You never have much fun. I was wondering if you could handle coming to town with me and having a snowball fight or something with the kids," he said, "You know cause were such good friends," he joked. I looked at the ground.

"No, but thanks anyways, I have to make sure the leaves are falling and the pumpkins are growing. And besides you know I only come out of the woods to do that, and to do my halloween-y jobs. I am a scary person Jack. Kids aren't going to like having me around," I said and went back to my pumpkins. I had told him this many times before.

"Why not?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said wiping dirt from my hoodie, and my leggings. I sighed as he flew off. He wasn't happy with my answers, I couldn't blame him, but that was all I could say. I walked back to my clearing. It was only a short walk away from the pond. I smiled at the thought. Jack usually only came by to visit the pond. When I got to the clearing though, there were a ton of yetis. Next thing I knew I was being whacked in the head, and shoved in a bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave reviews! Good or Bad I love them all :) Please don't hate me for this, it's my first fic that I actually tried on


	2. Chapter 2

The next thing I knew was that I was hitting the floor. I opened up the mouth of the sack and looked out carefully. I saw Jack doing the same thing to my right.

"What the hell?" I asked.

North(AKA Santa) looked at us and grinned. "How was the trip?" he asked.

"Just great. You know I love being kidnapped and stuffed in a sac by yetis," said Jack sarcastically. North laughed. "Good. That was my idea," he said.

"What do you guys want?" I asked. All the guardians were there. Toothiana the tooth fairy, North or Santa clause, Bunnymund the Easter bunny and Sandy the sandman. I smiled at them a bit. Jack rolled his eyes, but looked like he was wondering the same thing.

"You are to become guardians!" North said enthusiastically. Mine and Jack's faces fell. "North, you know I can't. I am half fear. Children are terrified of me when it isn't Halloween. You know I cant do that. Kids don't like me," I said sadly. It was true. Kids only liked you when they wanted to embarrass a friend and scare them when they are coming out of their room or something. No one even knew you existed. You and Jack were in that boat together. I looked at Jack and he was refusing as well. He said it would be too boring. I wanted to be a guardian, but I had grown to accept that I could never make friends. I was a curse, and children did not enjoy my presence most of the time. I sighed a bit.

"Thanks anyways guys, but Halloween is in a few days, and I need to finish my jack-o-lanterns," I said and unfurled my wings, "and besides that I also have to finish off the autumn work so Jack over there can come in and make it winter time," I said smiling sadly. I took off and started flying towards home. Toothiana followed. I stopped and allowed her to catch up after a few minutes. "What do you want tooth?" I asked.

"Look Samhain, we need you. You and Jack. pitch is back, and the man in the moon has told us to find you. Please," she said looking desperate. I looked down. This was one of the most painful parts of being like me. "I'll help defeat pitch. But I cant become a guardian Tooth. You know that. I am not guardian material," I said. No one knew I was a demon. they just knew I controlled fall and Halloween. I could control darkness, but I generally chose not too. I chose to use my abilities to show kids that even in the most terrifying moments, there can still be a bit of light. And if done right, there was a sort of fun in fear. Like how it was fun to jump out and frighten your sister, or it was fun to go and read a scary story or see a horror movie. Pitch was the spirit of bad fear, I was the pleasurable fear. We were the two opposites of the same thing. Tooth hugged me. "Thank you," she said.

I watched her go and went back to my clearing. What had I just signed up for? I sighed and picked up licorice and went inside. I looked at my list of things to do. I had to finish making the leaves fall, finish raising the jacks, make sure all the harvests were in, and make sure that nothing wrong would happen on Halloween. There wasn't much more to do, so I started. Maybe the kids could have an early snow day this year from Jack. Speaking of Jack, I wondered if he had decided to help the others. Suddenly Bunnymund made a rabbit hole in my field. "Dude! Seriously? You just set back my pumpkins!" I cried and went over to see how many were gone. He looked sheepishly at me. "Sorry sheila, but your needed. Pitch is attacking the tooth palace! Follow me!" he said and I jumped down the rabbit hole. We arrived in the north pole again. I saw North's globe. Usually it was covered in little lights, but now it was going dark. You knew what this meant. You hopped on North's sleigh.

After a few long, but hilarious minutes in the back seat with Sandy, Bunny, and Jack we reached the palace. I looked and there were many nightmares swarming. "Oh no," I said and I jumped from the sleigh and unfurled my wings as I jumped. "Guys their taking the teeth," Jack cried out and he followed your lead.We started to try and fight the nightmare horses, but he was able to rescue only one, and so were you. You both hopped into the sleigh. North handed Jack the reigns and you pulled out your staff."Y'know," I said, "the great thing with this old thing, is it can change forms," I said and I squinched my eyes shut and concentrated. The staff turned into a long katana. I started trying to get rid of the nightmares, but Jack couldn't drive for one thing, and the fairies were inside the beasts. If I hit a nightmare and accidentally hit/hurt/killed a fairy by accident I would never forgive myself. Jack crash landed us in front of Tooth. She was sobbing on her knees. You watched in silence while the others comforted her. I wanted to join in, but I couldn't. To do that would be to make a friend and that would be bad.


	3. Chapter 3

I stood and looked at Tooth on her knees. I said nothing, but I took the small fairy out of my pocket and sent it to her just as Jack sent baby tooth.

"Oh thank goodness you two are alright at least," she said. Then they heard his voice. Pitch's voice, I slunk into the shadows and stood there. I didn't want to see him. I held up my staff though and waited until he came into view.

"You have thirty seconds to bring back my fairies and the teeth," tooth said through clenched teeth, "or else."

"Or else what?" Pitch questioned, "What can you possibly do. Put a quarter beneath my pillow?" he laughed as Tooth tried to fly over and hit him. He appeared behind Jack and I.

"Well well well jack Frost. Since when have you been so chummy with the 4?" he said obviously not noticing me. I watched as Jack replied with a quick "I'm not." Pitch laughed.

"Of course not. It's always nice to have a neutral party. I hope you don't mind my ignoring you." He said and he continued talking. I came out of the shadows a bit more. "Pitch, what do you want?" I asked.

"ah, sister. How lovely." I flinched and I heard the others gasp. They didn't know that I was basically related to Pitch. He laughed. "I see your friends over here didn't know that, hoe amusing," he said with a smirk. I looked him in the eyes and spat. "I was never your sister. We simply have the same abilities," I said. I hated him. i was hoping to keep that between us and the moon. I readied my staff and he just laughed. "you both must be used to being ignored so please don't mind me," he said. Bunny ran at him and he teleported to another floating platform, so Tooth went at him but was intersected by a beautiful black Nightmare. I may be against what Pitch does and I didn't per say enjoy nightmares but I could see their unique beauty. Pitch stroked it and held up a handful of black sand. "Look familiar sandman? Took me a while but I have indeed perfected the art of turning dreams to nightmares," he laughed. Sandy looked shocked as he looked at his hands."Be careful bunny," he scolded as Bunny tried to step forward, "They can smell fear."

"What fear? I ain't scared of you, in fact no one has been since the dark ages," bunny said pulling out his boomerang and pointing it at him. "Oh how I miss the dark ages. It was so full of fear and misery. it was my most joyous time," Pitch said. "But then of course the bloody man in the moon chose to bring you all into it and ruin everything. You bringing all your sickening hope and dreams and disgusting light making me be written off as non-existent. All I truly want is to be believed in," he said. Santa snorted, but before pitch could respond the Tooth palace suddenly began to shake. "What is going on?" I yelled over the noise.Pitch laughed.

"Well looky here it has begun already," he laughed. I looked at Jack confused and he asked what was. "Children are waking up and realizing the tooth fairy didn't come. They're losing their belief," he said joyously. At our confusion Pitch laughed harder. "I see they didn't tell you everything hey? You see its all fun to be a guardian until you're no longer believed in. When that happens everything they protect joy, hopes, dreams and all that lovely stuff goes away, and as that dies, so do they." I watched as tooth began to lose her feathers. "Oh no," I said as Bunny threw a boomerang at Pitch. Pitch jumped on his nightmare and jumped, we jumped after him but he was too fast and he slipped through a crack.

I saw a small pond at the edge of where we were standing.Behind it was a painting of Tooth giving teeth to children. To be honest I didn't know what it meant. I rarely left the woods so I didn't really know much about any of the guardians. "I'm so sorry Tooth. I wish I could have helped," I said quietly crouching beside her. "They were amazing. They put up a terrific fight," tooth said sadly. The two fairies at her side nodded.Jack crouched next to me."Why did he take all the teeth?" Jack asked. "Its not the teeth he wanted Jack,teeth hold memories. All of the most important memories from everyone's childhood. We are supposed to protect them and when a child needs to remember the important things in life we help them. We had everyone's here. Even the two of yours," she said shaking her head. "Tooth I never lost any teeth. Actually as far as I remember I had no childhood," I said and Jack nodded in agreement. She looked confused. "Of course you did, we all did. We were all someone before we became what we are," she said. I shook my head and so did Jack. "you two actually don't remember?" she asked. We shook our heads. "We had lives? We had families? We were people?" I asked in amazement. This was unreal all I remembered was waking up in the woods, I didn't know what Jack could and couldn't remember. "Yeah you did, I'm sorry. I would have helped you remember if I knew," Tooth said putting her hands on our shoulders. I flinched.

"Guys I'm sorry. I have to go and finish off Halloween preparation," I said. I could see that I had hurt Tooth's feelings. As I flew back I strained my memory and tried to remember before the woods. I couldn't. I felt bad for hurting Tooth but it had been necessary. I couldn't have her trying to get close to me. Everyone who had ever become friends with me had had bad thing happen to them. I didn't want that for Tooth, or Jack, or any of the guardians. I was a curse and I couldn't have them be exposed to it. I landed and gasped. All my pumpkins had been kicked in and smashed. I felt tears come to my eyes as Licorice ran out and meowed at me, and rubbed against my legs.I heard someone appear behind me. I turned and saw pitch standing there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave reviews! Good or Bad I love them all :) Please don't hate me for this, it's my first fic that I actually tried on. I really want to know what y'all think


	4. Chapter 4

I turned slowly towards pitch. "What have you done?" I gasped and he laughed.

"I have ruined Halloween sis." He laughed maniacally. I spat at him again. "I am not related to you, we are not and never will be siblings. You are only thought of as my brother because we both control fear, even if we are on opposite sides of it, so I am not and never will be your sister I have no relatives," I said angrily. "Oh and there's the fact that we are both demons but you already knew that," he said grinning. I winced. "That doesn't mean we are related. It simply means that there is more than one definition of 'demon.'" I said. I sighed and turned back to my pumpkins. They were all destroyed. I let a silent tear run down my cheek and I turned back to pitch, who was standing there holding up a metal box. I was confused, "Whats that?" I asked. "Foolish girl, they are your memories," he said my ears perked up. "Why are you doing this?" I asked him quietly. He stared at me. "Because It's fun of course," he said holding it out to me. I stared at it but didn't step any closer. He laughed.

"Scared aren't you?" he asked. "Your afraid of the memories, scared of the possibilities. Scared of finding out why you are a demon and like me, your afraid of letting people in afraid of hurting them. You truly hate yourself don't you?" he said looking at me as if he was suppressing a smile. I looked down. He was right. "Your afraid of being hurt and of hurting others. Your afraid of telling people and making friends and its because you're afraid of what the guardians and other people will think," He smirked at me and threw the box. I caught it and sighed. I knew how he knew that. He knew everyone's fears, I closed my eyes and shoved the box in my pocket. "What do you want from me Pitch? I already denied becoming a guardian if that what you're worried about. I will never be able to be with kids and you know that, so why are you here? Why are you bothering me and not them? I am not a guardian I am not ever going to be one," I said sadly. "Because I love tormenting you. You are so fun you and your stupid fears," he laughed. He was enjoying this too much. "Why though? Halloween is the only night you can come out of the shadows because Children are making other children fear you. Why are you ruining that for yourself?" I asked curiously. I saw that I had hit a nerve. "because if I truly wish to rule this I have to extinguish you first. You don't get it do you?" he said incredulously, "If people are to be truly scared I have to destroy all pleasure from it. Which means ruining you. You may not be believed in but since you are the spirit of a holiday when people stop enjoying the holiday you get the same fate as the guardians," he grinned gleefully.I gasped in shock. I shot a spell at him, but he simply teleported away.

I sank to my knees, this couldn't be true. It just couldn't be, they would have told me. Licorice came over and tried to love my face, and I sobbed into my hands.The one thing I ever did right, the one day I actually liked to leave the forest was ruined. I was also humiliated by the fact that he had brought up my greatest fear. My fear of acceptance, and of hurting people. there was a reason I only talked to Jack when he came by, there was a reason I remained cold to people so that they wouldn't come by. There was a reason that I hadn't comforted Tooth, that I had pushed everyone away, and it was the simplest fact of my fears. I had hurt people in the past, a young girl, a young boy, and some others. I had attempted to befriend them and it had worked for a while, until they found out what I was.They had become so frightened and they had been so hurt, and then others found out. They tried to leave me, and I let them, but even though they had done this, they died. It had been sad and horrible, but the only reason they had died was because of what I was. I remembered that day clearly. I had been playing with them in the woods and their families had found out what I was, and they had tried to kill me. They had attempted to shoot me, but missed and hit the young boy. i was so ashamed of that day, and that wasn't the last incident. This happened a few more times, and I simply decided to stop showing myself to humans, and since they hadn't seen me in so long, they stopped believing in me. I figured that had been for the better. I had never told anyone that story and it had since then eaten my soul away. I got used to being alone pretty quickly, and that's why I had never tried to become friends with the guardians. That and that I had never wanted them to know about it, since it was too shameful. I wanted friends, yearned for them really, but I could never make myself do it. I was afraid of someone finding out and being pitiful or worse angry. I sobbed until I heard someone else come up behind me.

I wiped my eyes and sighed. "What do you want now Pitch?" I asked angrily, "Havent you done enough?" I growled. "I haven't done anything except witness an argument," I heard the familiar voice of jack say behind me.and I didn't want to interrupt, you kinda looked upset," he said sheepishly. i then realized I had been talking aloud to myself and I blushed a horrid crimson and then I sighed and tried to fly away in shame, but he stopped me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please please review/comment. I want to know what you all think :D  
> Good and Bad reviews/comments are much appreciated, just please, don't be assholes. Capiche?


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey don't go, please?" he said grabbing my hand. I tries to pull away but couldn't, I sighed and landed forcing my wings to disappear. i sighed, "Why are you here Jack?" I asked quietly feeling another tear roll down my cheek. I looked to my feet and saw Licorice looking at me. I stooped and started to pet her. "You left in a hurry. I was worried and Tooth wanted to know if you were OK. She thinks you're mad at her," he said stooping and looking into my face. I wiped my eyes. "You can go back then. I'm fine and tell Tooth it wasn't her, it was me. I guess you're going to go and tell them everything you just heard huh?" I asked ashamed. "If you don't want me too I won't but I think it would be good if you came with me to tell them. They would take it better from you. They are really confused right now, they had no idea you were Pitch's 'sister'," he said putting air quotes around sister. "I'm sorry Jack. I can't- I can't face them. They must hate me now, and look at my pumpkins. They're destroyed! I have to at least attempt to fix this," I said trying to find an excuse. "I promise I will tell them, eventually. But I think I should attempt to fix my holiday. I mean you heard Pitch, if Halloween fails I am going to weaken. I think I have to go a few Halloweens but I'm not sure and I don't want to take any chances OK? When I am done I will definitely tell them, but I'm really preoccupied," I said looking at my patch.Pitch had ruined every Jack-o-lantern in the patch. These were almost as important to Halloween as eggs were to Easter. "Why are they so important?" Jack asked me. I sighed and shook my head again. "They hold magic within them.I put a few at each child's house and they have a spell put inside them that makes them less afraid. If they are afraid of something, somehow on Halloween they find it more amusing than normal and they become less scared, or find the fear sort of- I dunno, fun," I explained. I tried to cast a spell to repair them, but Pitch had basically ruined them all with his own magic, so magic wasn't going to do a thing. I tried a few more times, but it still didn't work. Pitch's spell was a lot stronger than I had thought. I started to pick them up so they could be disposed of. I was going to have to grow new ones which would drain me of y powers,I wouldn't be leaving the forest this year. I sighed again at the thought.

I sat on the ground as I pulled them up, Jack was still behind me. "Is there something else you need?" I asked.He looked at me. "I want to go with you when you go back. I want to be there with you when you explain. Just call me a witness, and I want to make sure you don't chicken out," he said grinning. Well so much for that plan, I thought. Need any help? It may go faster if I help," he said shrugging. I looked at him. "No you will probably frost the ground, and that will make it impossible to grow new ones. So unless you can warm up and prevent that, you cant help," I said. I continued to pull up my beloved plants. "I can do that," he said hopping out of the tree he had climbed up and he started to help me. I almost smiled. Almost. We worked in silence for a while. "It should be time for you to make it winter the day after Halloween," I said. It was true. The leaves were falling pretty quick, and since the pumpkins would be done on Halloween, he could start the day after. I saw him grin and we kept working. I would have nothing to do until next year now. I sighed and shook my head.

A few hours of silence and work later all the pumpkins were out, and I had planted the new seeds. I sat down at the edge of the patch and closed my eyes. I laid my staff across my lap and started to hum an old, haunting tune to myself. I felt the magic draw away from me and into the patch. I heard Jack gasp, but I kept my eyes closed. I knew what he was seeing, he could see my magic. Magic that was orange and black. the magic of Halloween, the magic that kept me alive.I wouldn't be able to do this for long, but when I was to weak to continue I would sleep, and the continue. I had to get all the pumpkins done in 2 days, and that would mean dragging on to the edge of collapse, and then sleeping for an hour or two to regain it and recharge, then get back to it.I could tell Jack was getting nervous but I kept going. I went on for bout an hour until Jack came up behind me. "Come on Samhain, if you keep this up your going to exhaust yourself. Look at the pumpkins, they are big enough for tonight." I shook my head. I still had at least another hour in me, before I collapsed. I kept going until that point. I opened my eyes and looked at the pumpkins. They were about the size of basketballs. I wanted them to be the size of exercise balls. they had to be big, or they wouldn't hold enough magic. I stood up and stumbled to my hollow tree. I had dug a small hole that I lived in beneath the tree. It was exactly like an average house, just underground and the front door was up a ladder in a tree. I climbed down the ladder, nearly falling off in the process and grabbed some water. I heard Jack come in after me. "Jack I'm fine. I have to take a nap, go back to the pole," I said smiling at him. he shook his head. "I want you to come back with me so no, I am not going. If you want I can watch the patch until you wake up, or I can stay here but I am not leaving," he said smirking. Oh my gods he was a pain in the ass, but I shook my head. "Make yourself at home. Wake me in an hour, I will be in my room if something happens," I said making my way down the hallway.

I entered my room and closed the door. I took off my shoes and laid down. Licorice curled up next to me. I thought about my day. I couldn't believe Jack had found out my secret. I was still so ashamed. I started crying, but quickly tried to stop myself. I had been taught that tears and most emotions were signs of weakness. I had learned that from Pitch in the week he had come by and tried to get me to go and join his side. I had allowed him to stay and try to teach me, but I had caught on quickly that he was evil and I kicked him out. Just because I refused to stick with him though, a few of his lessons had stuck with me. Ever since the children had died from associating with me, I had tried to cut off my ties with people, and spirits, as well as my emotions. I sighed and closed my eyes. That hadnt worked out all that well. Soon I slept. I woke up to Jack knocking on the door. "Hey Its been a few hours. You asked to be woken up in one, but you looked exhausted," he said sheepishly. I sighed and got out of bed.This was going to suck with Jack around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE comment/review ^-^ Good and bad ones are much appreciated, I want to get better at writing


	6. Chapter 6

We flew back to the patch in a relatively quick time. I went back to work, but it was harder. The reason I should only sleep for an hour is because when I rest too long I have to restart the process, and it is harder to restart because there has been too long a gap. Think of it like running up a hill. If you stop and breath for a short amount of time you can restart fairly easily, but the longer the break the harder it is to restart and finish. I hummed the old tune and after a few minutes the magic flowed again. After another few hours I felt exhausted, so we went back to my place. This went on until the next next day.

I was exhausted, Jack was getting bored and I wasn't sure how much longer I could go on. I wasn't even sure if this was worth it.I may not be able to put the magic into the Jack~o~lanterns. I sighed and cut off the magic, rubbing my temples. I sighed again, and tried to start again. I felt Jack put his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, Samhain. Stop. You're going to end up killing yourself. You need to stop, at least for a while," he said. I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Jack. I can't stop. I can't. There is so much work to do. These pumpkins are not going to grow themselves. I just- I can't let these kids down," I said. I was so mad at the world right then. I couldn't believe that I was just so weak. "Hey lets try something else hen," he said. I glanced at him, his hand gripped my shoulder a little bit tighter. I saw him shut his eyes super tight and I heard him say something that I couldn't catch. I felt him put his cane on my other shoulder and saw a blue kind of aura surround him and wrap around me. I felt stronger and not as tired all of a sudden. I knew what he was doing and tried to stop him. He was giving me some of his magic. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't stop. He finally opened his eyes, and looked at me. I saw his smirk return to his face. "There. Get these pumpkins growing. I don't have to start winter for a bit so use both of our magic" he said going to sit down. I grinned back at him. "Thank you," I said. I got back to the pumpkins.

The next day the pumpkins were the right size. I looked at them all and sighed. None had faces yet, but we were about to fix that. I walked along the rows and sprinkled some powdered fear that I had created. It was easy to make, you just had to mix he fear with sand, much like Pitch did to make nightmares, but with this you didn't use dream sand. I sprinkled that and some of my own magic into it. Jack and I were both able to do one thing, make kids have fun. With my mix of powdered fear, and magic I am able to ensure that the kids would be enjoying the fear of Halloween. I stood to the side and grinned as I watched the faces come alive. Some were scarier than others, some weren't scary at all. The scarier ones were definitely going on the older kids porches and the younger kids would get the least scary ones. I smiled and cast a small spell to seal the magic inside of them.

I turned and saw Jack grinning too. "Y'know, some of these are actually kind of cute," he said crouching beside one of the smiley ones. I stuck out my tongue at him. "Some may be cute, but those will be going on he little ones houses. And they all have the same spell, just some less powerful than others. We don't want a 3 year old getting the same dose as a 12 year old do we?" I asked him teasingly. "I have to go and put these on the porches tonight. Then I promise we can go see the others OK?" I said. He rolled his eyes and walked towards me. "Want some help putting them out?" he asked. "Do you even have to ask? I know you're not going to listen if I say no," I said, "but we are going to have to wait until after dark. We cant have them see us." He nodded. We flew back to my home. Licorice was waiting by the door when we arrived. I had enchanted he pumpkins so they would float behind us and land in the yard. It was easy enough, but when we landed I was exhausted. "You can sleep if you want the couch is free. I can lock licorice in with me," I offered. He nodded and we both went to sleep.

When we woke up it was midnight. I walked into the yard and cast the enchantment on the pumpkins. When Jack was ready to go, we set off. "I did the other towns a few days ago. I do separate patches for different towns. this one is usually last. Thankfully this was the only patch left growing when Pitch attacked," I said shaking my head. "Oh well, that's good. When was the last time you were here?" he asked me. "September. I had to begin the leaf changing process. Once that is started though, I don't have to leave. It's really easy to finish things up away from the town," I replied. We landed in the front yard of a young girl. "Suzy Bishop, aged three," I said putting a smiley pumpkin on her porch. I saw the fear and magic works its way around the house. It was truly a sight to see. Black and orange tendrils working their way across the yard, seeping into trees and decorations and even the other pumpkins. I smiled and we were off again. We went to most of the houses and gave away more pumpkins until we were at the house of a small boy. His name was Jamie Bennett, and his little sister Sophie. Jamie got a large pumpkin with a traditional scary face, but Sophie got one that I thought looked a lot like a cat. I sighed as we put them down, and saw Jack staring at a window on the second floor. "Do you know them?" I asked. He nodded. "His belief in he guardians never even wavers. Not when his friends tell him they aren't real, not when he sees other people disagreeing, not even when he gets teased. His belief has never even faltered. He is going to do good one day, I know it. He really loves tobogganing too," he chuckled. I looked up and then back. There were only two or three more houses. We had time to go up and visit.

We flew through the window and I sighed. The cutest little girl was lying on the floor fast asleep. I crouched beside her and looked at her. She was so cute. I thought she looked like the little girl who would go out as an animal, I could see her as a cat or a squirrel. I loved little kids, they had the cutest costumes. We went across the hall and a cute young boy was laying in his bed. He looked like he was sleeping quite soundly too. I smiled, he would probably be an alien or a robot. I smiled again. It would be fun spotting these kids when I went out. If I went out, here was no telling if my magic would be back in time, or if the guardians would need me. I shook and hung my head a bit. No use thinking about it.  
Jack and I went to the last few houses and then flew back to the pole. We were not prepared for the crap storm that was to meet us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment or review guys :)


	7. Chapter 7

We landed on the soft white snow in front of North's workshop. I looked around confused. It looked normal. The lights were on, it seemed like there was movement inside but it was quiet. Eerily so.I turned my staff into a katana, and motioned for Jack to stay quiet and follow me. We quietly and stealthily walked up to the door. I kicked it open and stared. There was no one. The guardians, the yetis, and even the elves were missing. I moved forward a bit and made sure Jack was still following. He knew the guardians a lot better than I did. We made our way to the workshop. I gasped and felt Jack stiffen in anger behind me. The place was in ruins and Pitch was sitting on the desk, tossing a snowball up and down. He laughed as we came in. "I see you two made it. I was starting to worry about having to come and get you myself. Thank you for saving me all that trouble," he smirked at us and peered into the snow globe. I was enraged, so enraged I could see a red tint to my vision. I was able to growl a menacing, "Where in the hell did you take them?" I held up my katana in a better preparation to fight. Pitch laughed and wagged his finger in my direction. "Now now. Tsk Tsk Tsk sis. I thought you were a neutral party? And you are aware a few manners will take you a long way?" He was enjoying this way too much. I shot a spell at him, but he teleported to the side. "Tsk tsk tsk. I always knew you had a bit of a temper, but I guess its my fault for not teaching you to temper that," he said tossing the snow globe beneath our feet.

We arrived in his lair. I remembered the place. It was where I had spent many of my early memories. I looked around in wonderment. The place hadn't changed much. The only real differences were the stacks of boxes in the corner and all the cages that had always hung from the ceiling were full. Full of Tooth's fairies and the one in the center had the guardians in it. They looked down at us sadly. I stared back in shock. Bunny looked... smaller, North had lost the rosiness in his cheeks, Tooth looked like she had lost some of her feathers, and sandy looked tired. Not in his usual sandman tired way, but he looked... tired. I don't know how else to explain it. He looked weakened. Yeah that's the word, weakened. I mouthed to them a quick 'we're here to help,' and I saw them smile, sad smiles back at us. We looked up as we heard Pitch laugh. He was sitting on an old ledge above the cages. I spread my wings and swiftly flew to the cage. Pitch jumped off of the ledge and try to grab me. I dodged and he glided down next to Jack. "I thought you two were neutral? For neutral parties you seem to be helping them quite a bit more than your helping me." He scolded. I looked down and saw him and Jack break into combat. I mentally debated for a minute if I should go and help. We could destroy Pitch once and for all, but we may not have the manpower to do so. I climbed the bars to the door of the cage. The guardians smiled at me and I smiled back. I looked at the lock and sighed in relief. It wasn't a combination lock, it was a padlock. I summoned a small amount of darkness and made a skeleton key. What? Darkness can have its perks... I turned the key in the lock and opened the door. I checked to see that the others were able to get up, and then I jumped down. Perfect timing too, I landed on Pitch.

He collapsed underneath me and I almost laughed. We fell over together and started rolling around in the dirt, trying to get the upper hand. Jack was trying to help but he wasn't doing anything. I got on top of him and punched him a few times and then he rolled and kneed me in the stomach. "Bitch," he hissed and summoned his nightmare scythe. I squirmed and tried to roll again. He put the scythe to my chest and laughed. I squirmed a little more and he stabbed down. Pain shredded through me. I felt him pull the scythe out and I heard Jack scream my name. I closed my eyes, but the quickly snapped them open. Pitch's weight was gone. I saw North pounce him and pin him to the ground, but he somehow teleported away. I put a hand to my chest and sighed. The wound was agonizing, but he had missed my heart and lungs and it wasn't deep. It was gonna hurt and need a 1 or 10 stitches, but it wasn't fatal. I pressed my hand to the wound a little tighter to stop the bleeding and sat up. The others were standing around me and watching, with anxious looks on their faces. I sighed and let north help me up.I smiled a bit and looked at them, they looked a little better now that they were out of the cage. "You guys OK?" I asked. They nodded.

We made our way back to the pole after that. Tooth and I went into the back office to stitch me up. It didn't take long, but let me tell you, it wasn't comfortable.She looked at me and I looked down. She put my hand on my shoulder and I flinched away. She bit her lip. "What did Pitch mean about you being his sister?" she asked. I sighed and looked down at my feet. It was my turn to bite my lip. "We aren't actually related. He thinks that because we both share the affinity of Darkness and fear that makes us 'family'," I explained, "and I guess its time I told you. I am a demon, and because of that Pitch and I are kind of siblings. We are both demons and all demons are connected in a way that is sort of family like," I explained. Her look of shock was like a knife going through me. I flinched again, and threw a new shirt on. My chest was extremely sore, but I would live. Tooth looked at me. "I'm going to tell you right now Samhain, that no one here cares. What you do is good, and you are good. You may be 'related' to Pitch but that doesn't make you like him or evil. I understand things have probably happened in your past that made you isolate yourself, but you have to stop that. No one cares OK?" she said peering into my face. I nodded, and she hugged me. For the first time I felt almost as if I actually had a friend.I smiled at her. "Thanks Tooth," I said hugging her back.

"Now there is one more thing I have to ask you. Each of us has a center. Something we protect, something that makes us... us," she explained. I looked at her. "Think of us as Russian nesting dolls," she said pulling one off the shelf. It was in the form of North, "This one is North. On the outside he is intimidating, then you get to know him and he is," she stopped here and handed me the doll and motioned for me to open it. I did and there was one that looked happy, "he is jolly, then he is," I opened it again, this one looked kind of stealthy and kinda scary. "Mysterious and then you get down a bit more and he is," she said pointing to the doll. I opened the next one. This one looked angry, "fearless, then," I opened another one. (I'm sensing a pattern :P) This one had him with a small tear hugging a deer, "Caring, and at his center, he is," she trailed off waiting for me to open the last one. There was a tiny baby with large eyes. "A wondering child," she finished with a smile. I looked at her. "I am a bubbly, motherly, elegant, graceful and fierce, but at my center I have a love of childhood memories. What is at your center?" she asked. I thought about it and shook my head. "I don't- I have no idea Tooth. I know nothing of before that night in the woods. The night I became Samhain. If I don't know that how can I know my center?" I asked. This was making me panicky and worried. Tooth saw this and sighed. "When I am able to get my fairies out of Pitch's lair and bring back the teeth I can help you with that," she said smiling at me... again. I smiled back and then became puzzled. "Why didn't you get them out when we were there?" I asked. She looked down very sadly. "I couldn't. They were to weak to fly so I tried to get Jack to make winds to get them out, but he was too weak from the fight. We are going back as soon as we are stronger," she said. I looked at her shocked. I hugged her, "Hey don't worry Tooth. I'll skip my Halloween run and help you get them out OK?" I said assuming they would be going out tomorrow. She looked at me and laughed. "Samhain, don't worry about that. I don't think any of us will be going for a few days. Go and enjoy your run. Just don't break the stitches," she said. With that we walked out to see the others and figure out what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Review Review Review  
> Comment Comment Comment  
> (Do you understand my hints yet ;) lol)


	8. Chapter 8

Samhain's POV:

We walked out and saw the others huddled in a circle around a table. "Whats that?" I asked. They looked up at us and I saw Jack smile a bit. I smiled back. North waved his hand at a map. "This is the town and surrounding area in which you and Jack live," he said. I looked and nodded. "This is where my tree is," I said pointing to it. North nodded, "That's what Jack tells us, and your patch is here," he gestured to it. I nodded again. "That's convenient seeing as Pitch's lair is here," Bunny said gesturing to a pond that was seriously close to where my tree was. Actually I think it was Jack's pond. I looked at them confused. "How is that convenient?" I asked. "Well you are his sister," Bunny replied, an evil glint in his eyes. I held up my hands. "How many times must I tell you? I am not his sister. I know this since we were chosen hundreds of years apart. He was chosen way before I was. The only thing I can think of is that we are distant relations, but seriously that is unlikely," I said choosing to be honest, "I'm going to be completely honest here. I am a demon, and so is he. We both wield fear, so we are kind of related," I said sadly. "What did he mean about teaching you to temper your anger?" Jack asked. "He was my teacher after I was chosen. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't think it was important because I left fairly quickly," I replied looking at my feet. I looked around, everyone's (except Tooth's) faces had gone stoney. "Do you really think that makes her evil? She couldn't help it! She was probably confused and she didn't remember any of her past! Of course she was going to allow anyone who offered to help he. And you heard her, she left Pitch very quickly," Tooth said angrily, "Guys, seriously. She made a mistake, and honestly she didn't realize he was evil when she joined him! Are you really going to hold that against her?" She finished. I hung my head, but smiled a bit. next time I looked up the others had let a little more warmth into their expressions, except Bunny. He still looked like he wouldn't trust me. I sighed and hopped off the table, "Look I have to go. Halloween is tonight, so I have to prepare," I unfurled my wings and took off.

Tooth's POV/ whats happening in the pole:

I looked around the table after Samhain had left. I was quite mad. "Really guys? I just convinced her no one was going to care! That we wouldn't judge her based on her past. I just convinced her to try and stop isolating us! I thought we were supposed to be the good guys? The ones who protected kids from all the emotional danger in the world? How can we do that when we cant even protect them when we cant even protect one of her own?" I said shaking my head. This was unbelievable.

I heard Jack suck in a breath and sigh.He looked up and around the table. "Did you guys know that she blames herself for the death of some kids she had made friends with? Back when she had been believed in, she had made some friends. Kids in a village, their parents found out and tried to shoot her, and missed hitting the kids. Apparently this has happened before, and she blames herself. That's why she isn't believed in. She isolated herself from people so she wouldn't hurt anyone else. Soon since she hadn't been seen people stopped believing. She didn't want to hurt others, or herself. How would that make you people feel? Could you sacrifice being believed in to protect people," he asked. I frowned. "How do you know that? I know she hasn't told you," I said confused. This didn't make sense."I overheard an argument between her and Pitch. I heard the bits about the incident with the kids, and her not wanting to hurt others and figured the rest out for myself. It was pretty obvious," he shrugged. I nodded, it made sense. "How would that kind of guilt, following you around make you feel? You probably made it worse for judging. She hates herself," Jack finished. I watched the others look down in guilt, except Bunny. I knew they wouldn't have been able to make that sacrifice, they just wouldn't. They loved being believed in and helping kids. They would have stopped making friends if it happened, or have been more careful but they wouldn't have made that sacrifice. Bunny didn't look changed at all. I frowned at him and he shrugged. "What if she's lying? What if she works for Pitch and It's all a plot against us? What if they're working together?" he said.I growled at him. "Do you really think that bunny? Can you honestly tell me you believe that?" He shrugged and nodded, which seriously pissed me off. I shook my head. "I don't think so Bunny. Did you see the way she was acting? I think she was telling the truth." North, sandy, and Jack nodded. I smiled at them. Bunny huffed and I said, "OK now that that's over, can we see what we are gonna do about my fairies?" I said changing the subject.

Samhain's POV:

I flew fast to my Tree. I couldn't believe the way they had reacted. I was hurt. I sighed and flew down and into my tree. My chest was killing me, but I would live. Licorice greeted me and I stroked her. She was such a good little kitten. I walked to the bathroom, and looked at the wound. I gasped. The edges and area around it had turned black. It had become infected with fear. This could happen to me because we had different kinds of fear. A tear fell from my eyes. This was bad. There were two outcomes to this, either I could give in and join Pitch's side and altogether become evil, or I could fight it and eventually die. I didn't want either, but I would have to pick an option. I would fight it. For me there was no other option. I sighed and threw my shirt back on. Apparently ruining my pumpkins hadn't worked, so he had to do something more drastic. I sat on the floor and cried. I was like this for a while, and then I stood up and walked into my room. I had a costume laying across my bed. I smiled a bit. You see, on Halloween my magic concentrates and some years if it concentrates enough I can be seen. Usually I go to a Halloween party or something. It's fairly fun most of the time. I was going to wear a black dress and take my staff, and unfurl my wings, same as every year. I was going to go as a demon. I smiled a bit. This might be my last Halloween, so I should enjoy it.

I heard the door open and looked back. Jack was standing there. I got a weird feeling in my stomach. Kind of like butterflies and I wanted to smile, but I was so sad that he had doubted me at the Pole. "What do you want?" I asked. "Hey look, I'm sorry about the others, and I'm sorry if it came across wrong with me. I never doubted you. I was just curious," he said. I looked at him, he looked sincere so I sat down and sighed. "It's OK. I'm just hurt," I explained. He hugged me and I was shocked. The butterfly sensation got worse and I was confused. "I'm truly sorry," he said. I nodded and looked down. He saw the dress and said,  
"Whats that for?" I explained and he smiled, "That's kind of cool." I grinned a bit, and then pain stabbed through my chest, I clutched it, winced and groaned. He looked at me with worry. "Jack I have a problem," I said. I tore off my shirt and showed him the wound. He gasped and went pale. He knew what this meant.  
"What are you going to do?" he asked. "Fight it, probably die," I replied bluntly. He paled further. If any of you thought he was pale before, you were clearly mistaken. I sighed and looked down, then I saw Jack through the corner of my eye. I looked up and he said, "What if you don't become visible this year? Would it be possible to concentrate your magic and heal the fear infection?" he asked. I widened my eyes and hugged him. 

"Jack I don't know but its worth a try," I said, "Your a genius. Thank you," I smiled as he hugged me back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I need to ask again? lol


	9. Chapter 9

I felt a blush creep into my face as I released Jack from the hug, and I knew since I was so pale he could see it. I saw him smirk a bit as I turned and picked up my dress. Even if this didnt work I wasn't going to need it. I hung it in the closet and pulled out a list. It was a to do list, and by the looks of things I had nothing to do. All the leaves were off of the trees, all the pumpkins were delivered, and no kids needed a boost of Halloween in their lives. I huffed out a breath of air and put the list away, I wasnt going to need it until next year. Kind of a depressing thought. I shut my closet and turned to Jack, he was just staring at me.   
"What?" I asked. He looked away but didnt answer. "What?" I asked again, sitting next to him. He looked at me again, I was getting a little uneasy. He still didnt answer me though, instead he stood up and changed the subject.   
"What are you going to do now? It'll probably get kinda boring if you arent seen," he said.   
I sighed and nodded. "If this works it will totally be worth it, and if it doesnt then oh well. I'll still be able to fly around and admire things. Just I usually go to parties, not gonna be able to participate much this year since I'll be invisible," I joked. He laughed and nodded. "I would'n't think so."   
I stood up and walked to the door. We flew to the patch, now empty and barren, ready for next years planting. We sat down and looked at the woods.   
"What are you gonna do for winter this year? Anything big and special?" I asked curiously. "Maybe a snow day to start things off," he said. I nodded and grinned. "The kids will definitely like that," I said.

We looked at the trees for a bit, and I looked towards the direction of the pond.   
"I can't belive Pitch's lair is so close," I muttered after a few minutes. He nodded back to me.   
"Want to go try to get the fairies?" I asked, the thought creeping into my mind. He looked at me and shook his head.   
"No. I dont think its a good idea. We're all still recovering from the last attack," he said almost sadly. I rolled my eyes. I was surprised he would say no though. I wondered why, but didnt ask in fear he would get mad. I sat and stared at the trees a little longer. The horizon was darkening and I could actually feel my magic strengthen. It was a lovely sensation. I giggled a bit, and I knew that tonight was going to be... interesting. I stood up and looked at the sky. The moon was big and full, perfect for Halloween. Grinning I closed my eyes and thought about all the kids out trick or treating, going to parties, and just making use of the holiday. The thoughts made my smile widen. I snapped my eyes open and sighed. Pain ripped through my chest, and knocking me to my knees, It was a pain like I had never felt before. I gasped in a breath and felt nore than saw Jack run to my side. He put his arm around me and his hand on my shoulder.   
"You OK?" he asked quickly. I nodded.   
"Lets just get this done with," I said.

I sat on the edge of the woods and closed my eyes, clutching my staff in my hands and began to humm a tune that symbolised healing for me. (I dont want to think of a song to give you in particular, just think of one that means this to you :)) I felt the magic flow through me and concentrating in my staff, then flowing into my chest. The wound began to ache, and the pain built quickly into a blindingly painful experience. I think I shrieked, but I didnt stop. I couldnt. I kept going on and on. Then the world was engulfed in a rip of pain, then the world was black. I woke up with Jack hovering over me.   
"You OK?" he asked.   
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just went a little too far. Damn that was painful," I said. I looked down to my chest. Nothing had changed. Apparently Pitch had thought I would do that and done something to prevent it from working. I sighed and hung my head. "God damnit all," I muttered.This sucked, royally. How would I tell the others? I had just made them trust me, well for the most part trust me. I let another tear slip from my eyes. God, I was crying so often now. Maybe it was because I was becoming close to the people for the first time in what, 200 years? I couldn't even remember. The thought saddened me. It had been so long, and the day I choose to come out of my shell and trust people, this happened. I put my elbows on my knees and my hands covered my face as I sobbed. Jack hugged me as I cried. We were there for a while, until I shook him off and stood up, wiping my eyes.   
"I guess I should go into town. Enjoy the rest of tonight," I said. He nodded and stood up.   
"Wait I want to try something," he said pushing me back to the ground. I looked at him as he sat next to me, and put his hands on my shoulders. "Try again," he said. I closed my eyes and started to hum. I felt stronger, and heard Jack humming along. This was new. I wanted to close my eyes but I didnt. I felt a new kind of Magic course through me. I was confused but kept going.The pain was less though which was good. I sighed after a little while and opened my eyes. Jack still had his eyes closed, but he stopped humming just after I did and when I saw him he had his blue aura around him, and he was letting me absorb it.

"What are you doing?" I asked. He opened his eyes. "Trying to help," he said seriously, "Did it work?" he asked quietly. I looked at the wound again. The black wasnt gone, gone but it was receding, a bit.   
I grinned. "Thank you. Yes its going down. Slowly." I wanted to hug him, but I didnt. What I didnt want to do, is get caught blushing again! or for things to get awkward... I laughed and stood up quickly, but Jack was slower.   
"You OK" I asked worriedly, helping him up.   
"Yeah. I just released a bit to much, but hey, totally worth it," he said with a smirk. I grinned back.   
"You gonna be well enough to go for a fly with me? Maybe you'll be able to get that snowday done in time for tomorrow," I said excitedly. He nodded.   
"Yeah! Wanna help?" he asked. I felt a small blush creep into my cheeks. So much for the whole no blushing thing. I nodded.  
"Sure! But first lets enjoy the last of halloween. by the looks of things it's only 8 so we have time to see the kids, and I'll show you something pretty cool at midnight. The witching hour," I said. He grinned and we started towards the town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment or Review :)


	10. Chapter 10

We flew for a little while in silence. The moon was so big and full, and the air that was whipping around us was a bitter cold and smelled wonderful. It smelled like freshly fallen leaves and (I guess by Jack's making) snow soon to fall. I grinned at him and he grinned back. I closed my eyes and laughed, feeling so free and ready to enjoy another wonderful Halloween in this town. We slowed down as we approached. There were kids of all ages walking from house to house and laughing as they bragged about how much candy they got. This made me smile. I lowered myself towards the ground and looked at my pumpkins. Each face was glowing brightly and I could see the fear and joy just oozing from them. I grinned wider and walked towards a house. The decorations were spooky and perfect. I don't think my grin could have gotten any wider. Jack came up behind me.  
"This is great! How long have you been working on this?" he asked. I looked at him.   
"A while. The only thing I can do is put little things around the town to give the residents inspiration. I cant actually tell them to do this or that. Invisible, remember?" I laughed. He nodded. Of course he remembered, he was invisible too. stupid stupid stupid thing to say, I scolded myself. I didn't want to screw this up, I finally had friends, no way was I gonna screw up. No way at all. I flew up onto a house's roof and looked down, surveying the costumes. Some were scary, some were funny, some were really cute. I saw a little girl being pushed around in a stroller dressed as a lady bug, a few princesses were running around ahead of their mothers and siblings, many boys dressed up as monsters and spooky things. I searched for familiar faces. There weren't many. I saw a young girl named cupcake dressed up as a unicorn, a young boy (his name escapes me) dressed as Freddy Kreuger trying to scare a little girl (presumably his sister!) I laughed and kept looking around.

Soon my eyes fell upon a little blonde girl with big green eyes dressed as a kitten. She was really cute, and I recognized her. Then it hit me.   
"Jack! look! It's Jamie and Sophie. Don't they look amazing?" I asked. Jamie was dressed as a robot. My guess had been right. Jack nodded and smiled. I think he could tell I was excited. I gently flew down next to them. Jamie was trying to scare Sophie, but it wasn't working. She was just getting giggly and hyper. I laughed and picked a leaf out of my pocket, and sprinkled a little bit of magic onto it, then blew on it. Sending it right into Sophie's face. She shrieked in delight and chased after Jamie while he stood there trying to convince her that he was an evil robot from mars. I laughed, and I wished I could remember if I had siblings. If I had had moments like this, If I had had fun and scares like these two. I could hear Jack laughing beside me as Sophie pounced on Jamie and knocked him over. I heard her shriek as he tickled her. Pretty soon their mom came over and spoiled the fun. I watched as they walked away, while Sophie was telling Jamie she had beaten him. I smiled a bit and flew off again. I lead Jack to a park in the middle of the town. I knew he would come here and make kids have snowball fights and such. I grinned wider as we landed. I could see cupcake chasing some kids around and trying to play tag with them. It was really funny.

After the park I lead Jack to a large house on the outer edges of town. It was the home of a young girl, about Jack and My age (well after you subtract a few hundred years first!) who was having a party. She had held a party every year since her parents had prevented her from trick~or~treating. I laughed as we went through some people, through the door. Us two girls had almost been friends. She knew I would come once every few years, and we would talk and hang out. Usually I held a scary story circle with the other kids when I was there. It was fun, but she knew I was a loner, and we didn't get all personal when we talked. I sighed. I could tell she was watching to see if I was coming through the door. She probably just wanted me to tell some stories. I shook my head and put my wings into my back. We sat on the back of a couch and watched the kids. They were telling stories again. I laughed at a few, and smiled at others. They were re-telling ones I had told, and bringing new ones. It was nice. Pretty soon it was close to midnight so I motioned for Jack to follow me. We flew deep into the woods. Deeper than I had ever taken anyone. I could tell Jack was nervous about it. I laughed.   
"What? Its not like I'm going to kill you or anything. I just want to show you something. It's almost the witching hour!" I laughed and did a little somersault in midair.I could hear him laugh too. We hadn't really said anything to each other, all night but that was OK. It was so far going pretty good. I started to land and Jack sped up in front of me, "Race you!" he called. I laughed and sped up myself.   
"You don't even know where we're going!" I called, laughing.   
"The ground of course," He called back. I laughed and sped ahead of him. We were going fast now, and I almost won. It was close, but he hit the ground first. I laughed and smacked him on the arm. "Next time you soooo gonna lose. I let you win," I laughed. "Oh really now? You did? I don't think so," he said teasingly. I smacked him again. "Come on, we're almost there," I said grabbing his hand and leading him towards a clearing.

The grass was long and green and it was surrounded by oaks and willow trees. I hummed and spun in a circle.   
"Two minutes," I said spinning. It was so close. "Can you feel it?" I asked closing my eyes. I opened them again and saw him sitting on the ground, his eyes wide with wonder.   
"Yeah," he said wonderingly. I think North would be proud of how curious he was. It almost put his wonder to shame. I laughed, and spun some more. This was an old place of magic, from before I even knew what it was. This was where I had woken that fateful night. The first night that I could remember. Soon I felt midnight come at last. The clearing began to glow. The kind spirits had come here. They were in the form of what looked like wisps.

These were only the kind spirits though. this place did not allow any spirit with bad intentions within. Actually It was incredibly difficult for a spirit with bad intentions to enter this world at all. It was a very rare occurrence, I had only seen an evil spirit a few times. Thankfully I could send them back. It was hard, but I could. Part of being Halloween spirit. I smiled and said hello to the spirits, they were so pretty. I heard Jack gasp as he looked at them all. There were so many, and I grinned. This happened every year, when the veil between realms was at it's thinnest. I sighed and pulled Jack towards the wisps.   
"This is a new friend of mine guys. Meet Jack," I said. I heard a chirping from the spirits and smiled.   
"I hope he can come back yes. I actually have friends now. Ones that aren't dead," I said teasing them. I heard a sort of chuckling sound from them. I smiled back. These guys were the reason I hadn't gone insane with loneliness over the years. They had become my friends, sort of. They couldn't really communicate and I only saw them once a year for an hour only. That was why it was called the witching hour.  
"Come on Jack. Lets enjoy this while this lasts," I laughed and pulled him into a sort of dance. It was kind of fun. Usually dancing was spinning with the spirits, but now I had a partner to join in. We spent the hour spinning and dancing with the spirits. It was so nice having another living person there.

I waved goodbye as the hour ended and the spirits floated up towards the sky. Another Halloween gone, and another visit passed. The clearing darkened as the spirits left us. Soon they were gone from sight, and it was pitch dark out. I walked over to where Jack was standing. "Have fun?" I asked.   
He laughed and nodded. "Of course I did! Why didn't you ever show me that before?" He asked.  
I looked down. "I only had them for friends for the longest time. They were my only friends, and I kind of wanted to keep them away from people. I didn't want to freak them out, or you out. I could tell you were a little surprised at first, if not freaked out," I said shaking my head. I didnt know how to explain it. I figured the same thing I had thought about me before. That none of us would be accepted. I smiled and motioned to the sky.   
"Race you to my tree!" I shouted, and we tore off into the night. Soon we landed in my yard, but something was off. Licorice was nowhere to be seen, and the night seemed... darker. My chest began to hurt more, and I looked at it. The black was spreading again. "No, no, no," I muttered and raced to the side of the tree. Pitch was sitting on a branch. "Did you have fun? Nice too see you," he said with a smirk.


	11. Chapter 11

I rolled me eyes. "What do you want now? Haven't you screwed up everything enough?" I asked, "Oh wait! Are you here to apologize?" I asked sarcastically. Of course he wasn't.   
He laughed. "Of course not, sis. I came here to ask how you were? Enjoy your last Halloween? Pretty soon you're gonna be one of those spirits you love oh so much!" He said. I winced. He had just poked on a nerve, so to speak. He laughed and Jack growled. I glared at Jack to shut him up.   
"Jack, go, just go," I said sadly, "This is my fight at the moment. Not yours. No need for you to get hurt in the process of this." Jack glared at me but didn't budge. I huffed out a breath. Of course he didn't, he had to be a guy. Pitch laughed again, and I turned my attention to him. "What have you done to me?" I asked sadly.   
He laughed harder. "You should know sis. I tried to teach you how to infect people all those years ago. Too bad you didn't learn, seeing as you left so soon. You had just picked it up, and oh! you were a natural," he said.   
I growled at him. "Bad timing Pitch, bad timing," I said wagging my finger at him. He growled at me. I laughed.   
"Don't scold me! I am the embodiment of your fear," he growled. I laughed harder. "You know Pitch, if you were half as scary and powerful as you think you are I would be hiding under my covers shaking with fear right about now," I said. His face dropped into a rage face.   
"Oh come on. you know it's true," I said goading him. I was looking for a fight now.

He growled, and pounced at me. I laughed as I rolled away from him, and made a 'come and get me' gesture at him. He did. He pounced me and pinned me to the ground, punching me in the face. I kneed him in the stomach and got him off of me. I pounced back and pinned him. I got a few good punches in, and thwacked him in the head with my staff. He was officially pissed off now. He rolled and I was underneath him. I tried to roll free and failed. He punched me right where he had stabbed me last time. I gasped in pain and scrunched my eyes closed. He was gonna get it now. I screamed in rage and rolled again. This time I was able to get free. He landed on his back and I stood above him, and pointed my staff at him.   
"Well well Pitch. Look at this. Not so powerful, or scary now huh?" I asked, "How should I end this? Should I put a little joy inside of you? Should I turn my gorgeous staff here into a sword and stab you? Or should I just use some of my fall abilities? I bet you didn't know I could make it cold did you? Jack can make it snow, but he's guardian of winter, I can frost things a bit.... since that happens in fall now doesn't it?" I said grinning. I was feeling an intense, and I mean INTENSE, blood lust and I didn't know why. I heard jack behind me, and then Pitch started to laugh.   
"Of course I knew that you silly girl. Why did you think I wanted you AND Jack so badly? I mean, what goes with dark better than cold? and with your bit of courage in there, I dunno, I think we would make an incredible force! one to be reckoned with!" he said, but I could see fear in his eyes. He hadn't known that. I laughed and he grinned.

"You are feeling a blood lust aren't you Samhain? I can see it, You want to know what that is?" he asked. I stared at him with an intensity.   
"What have you done to me?" I said staggering back, the blood lust leaving me ion a whoosh, leaving me incredibly tired and sore. Jack caught me as I fell.   
"Well aren't you two cute," he said teasingly. I blushed, with embarrassment and rage. He laughed again, "Well isn't this fun! Anyway, the blood lust is your inner self coming out of it's shell. You are able to truly hate things like nothing else, simply because you wield what I do. Fear and Darkness. Face it Samhain, you'll never be guardian material. Never," he said. I winced again. He knew all of my nerves and sensitive bits in my mind.

He laughed again. "That's just you being yourself Samhain. I know you want to be a guardian. I know you hold a small bit of hope for that, all I have done is open up your eyes. The fear I infected you with is just there to heighten your hidden self. Face it. this is you, and if you have a violent nature like you just demonstrated, you will never be able to guard children," he said. He grinned wickedly, "and besides. Once you're out of my way it will be easier to take over the guardians and take over the earth!" He said laughing wickedly.   
I gaped at him. "Only you would do something so evil Pitch, leave my house. NOW!" I said pushing a rush of magic at him. He disappeared with a grin and a laugh. I sat on the ground and cried. Again. God I was crying so much now, and Jack kneeled next to me. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes. "What if he's right Jack? What if I really am evil? What if I hurt kids again? I don't think I can do that. Not again," I said, through the tears. He lifted my chin so I was looking him in the face, and put his hand back on my shoulder.  
"He's not right Samhain. I don't know how he could be more wrong! You're good, and I know you are NOT going to hurt kids again. EVER again," he said, "You know how I know? Because of how you're reacting, right now. You don't want to hurt people, so you won't. Simple as that." I nodded and he wrapped his arms around me. I buried my head in his shoulder and sobbed.

After I was cried out, I let go of him. "God, I'm turning into such a baby. I used to be able to listen to his snide remarks for hours and hours and not be bothered. Now look at me, I've officially gone soft," I said. I chuckled a bit, and Jack looked at me again.   
"No, you're not. You're just letting emotions in again. You're becoming stronger and you're showing other people your soft side. That's a good thing. If you weren't doing that we would KNOW you werent guardian material. By showing us a soft side, you're showing us you have feelings and emotions, and a conscience. Which is what makes you a guardian," he said smiling at me. I blushed and felt the butterflies stronger in my stomach. I smiled at him and hugged him again. "Thank you," I said, "For everything. You are definitely the person I am closest too. Thank you for that," I said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews or Comments are much appreciated :)


	12. Chapter 12

"No problem," he said shrugging. I released him from the hug. "No seriously. Thank you. Just thank you. I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am," I said. He nodded and smiled at me. "AND thank you back. I don’t exactly have many friends either," he said. I grinned. We sat there and talked for a while, before he had to go and prepare the big snow day for the kids. I waved to him as he flew off, and Licorice started to weave in and out of my legs and begging for attention. I picked her up and walked into the house. I sighed as I looked at the state of it. I hadn’t really been keeping things in order, since the last few days had been so hectic. The roots of the tree had started growing through the ceiling, grass and bugs had started coming through the walls, and animals had accidentally burrowed holes in my walls as well. I sighed and removed the bugs and animals (Didn’t kill any, just relocated them) but decided to leave the roots until tomorrow. I filled up Licorice’s bowl and went into my room. I threw on my pajamas and laid down on my bed, closing my eyes.

I started to think. I thought about how nice it was to have living friends after almost a hundred and fifty years. After that long it was nice to have Tooth and Jack around. I had been a bit lonely lately. Then I started thinking about how weird it was to think about my age. I looked in my mirror that was hanging above my dresser beside my bed. I looked 14, the same age as Jack, but I was 300, again same age as Jack. Pretty weird to think about that too. Jack and I were the same age, chosen on the same night, and lived in basically the same place. Was there something there I was missing? I didn’t know. I looked back to my ceiling and sighed, closing my eyes.

I was almost asleep when I heard them. Two voices. A boy's and a girl's, and I recognized them. The voices were coming from my dresser. I looked towards it and saw alight coming from my top drawer. I stood up and walked towards it, opening the drawer I saw that the light was emanating from the box Pitch had thrown at me a few days ago, my box of teeth. I stared at it, wanting to open it, but having something hold me back. I walked over to my bed and sat down staring at it. After thinking about it I realized what was holding me back, was fear. I was afraid of my past. I was still afraid of the possibility that I had done something wrong and that was why I had become a demon, why I had been the reason those kids had died. I rubbed my eyes and sighed again. This was gonna suck. I wanted to look but I wasn’t sure if I should. What would the guardians say? Would they think I was working with Pitch? I mean how else would I have gotten the box, right? I looked at it, biting my lips. I shook my head, and thought, I can’t believe I am gonna do this, and I opened the box.

A flash of bright, white light appeared and I was transported to the front of a log cabin in the middle of the woods... I slowly walked to the window. I heard two voices. I peeked inside and saw a little girl and a little boy. Twin siblings that I recognized. I stared at them. Where did I know them from? I watched them playing inside the main room of the house. They were really cute. The only looked about five, with black hair and blue eyes. The little girl was slightly shorter than the boy but she was skinnier. She had a doll and he had a toy boat. I smiled and walked went into the house. Even the house was familiar. I looked around some. There was a fireplace in the corner and a bookshelf and rocking chair beside it. There were a few rooms down a hall, but the house was small. I went back to the living room and saw another girl. The girl was the most familiar. She had black hair, and pale skin, blue eyes and she was medium height. I gasped. It was me. She (I?) was poking at the fire slowly burning in the hearth.

"Josh, please go and pick a story for me to read to you and Laura," I (she?) said to the little boy. His eyes opened wide and he put his toy boat away, and ran to the bookshelf. Laura put her doll away, and the old me sat in the rocking chair, with the two kids sitting by my (her?) feet and she read them a story. It was an old one and I couldn’t put a name to it. After the story I (she?) put the book away and while I (she?) was at the bookshelf a man came in, and tried to grab the twins. I tried to stop him, but it didn’t work since these were only memories.

"Father!" the memory version of me said. He turned his gaze towards me/her. It was obvious that he was drunk. "Stay out of this Samhain," he slurred. 

“But father! What did they do?" I/she asked. I remembered my father now. He was known to go into drunken rages and hurt us, ever since mother had died. I had usually jumped in front of the twins and taken their beatings when he was like this, they were too young.   
"They broke the frame of the last painting I had of your mother!" He slurred and turned to them. They were cowering against the wall in fear. Father raised his hand to Laura and I (she?) jumped in the way, pushing them away from the hand. In a split second I was in the memory me's body, feeling and seeing everything from her/my perspective. I felt his hand sting against my cheek, but I barely moved. I pointed to the kid’s room, and they ran to it. He hit me over and over and over. Pretty soon he used whatever object he could find. First he used a bottle on the table. I felt the pain and heard the glass fly as it broke against my skull. Everything went black for a few seconds and I felt the blood drip down my cheek. I groaned and he started hitting at the rest of my body with the broken glass. Blood flew and spittle hit my face as he shrieked at me. I was stupid, useless, and if it weren't for my wanting of siblings my mother would still be alive. He dropped the bottle and grabbed a chair, whacking me in the head with that. He had never gone this far before. I crumpled beneath his hands, and laid on the ground bleeding. He got close to my face. I felt the spittle even more now, saw the anger in his eyes, smelled the alcohol on his breath, and saw my own blood splatterings on his face. I wanted to vomit, but I held back. "You are the worst daughter I could have asked for," he slurred, "Even those damned twins are better than you." He left the house after that. I laid there slowly slipping, bleeding out and trying to stay awake, until the twins came out of their room. Laura was the first to run over to me, Josh just stood by the entryway too terrified to move. Then I was just observing from an outer body view. I watched as the memory me pet Laura's hair and motion for Josh to come to her. He did. She hugged them both gingerly, and they tried not to jar the memory me's form too much.

"My sweet siblings," I/she said, "I don’t know if I will be OK. Father hit me in the head a few too many times," she said trying to explain in ways they would understand. They knew it was bad to be hit there. They had learned that pretty quickly. I/she continued talking, 'I want you to remember one thing though. If I don’t make it, I want you to be brave. Be strong. Have courage, fear nothing. When something scares you try to find something good in it so you are less afraid. Like father. He always regrets harming us, and tries to help us. He never means what he says. He is just angry. Do you remember how he was before mother left us?" she/I asked. They nodded. 'Good. Now always remember that. Don’t fear father, pity him. Fear nothing. Be brave. Please remember as well if you fear something look at it closer. Find its light and stop fearing it because of the light,' she/I said quietly. I could see the light fading from her/my eyes. The kids were crying. They had knowledge beyond their years if they knew that she/I was dying. It was obvious they did though, and it was obvious they knew why as well. I looked as they sobbed when she/I died. I watched as night fell and the kids fell asleep by my side. As Father came in the next morning, very hung-over but not drunk. He saw my body on the ground and fell to his knees. I knew he had always regretted beating us but not enough to stop, but now I could see in his eyes, that he wasn’t going to drink again. I saw pure sadness, anger, and I could just tell that my death had saved those kids. I smiled, and the bright white flash that had taken me to the house flashed and I was back on my bed.

So that’s where I got my job, I thought. I had always been there to make sure my siblings had seen the light in fear. I had shown them courage to stand up to their fears, and I had had the courage to protect them from something bigger and stronger, even if it meant I would die. I had been their guardian. I smiled at the thought. Then I realized something. My center is courage, I thought excitedly. I felt a warm kind of tingly sensation go down my back and tell me I was right. This was amazing, now I knew my center, but I also realized how dumb I had been. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t figured it out when Tooth had shown me the concept of a center. I just had to look at what I had been doing for the last three hundred years to realize it. I face-palmed myself and laughed at myself. Licorice jumped up on the bed and head bumped my chin. "Yeah I know. No need to rub it in," I laughed. She meowed and I lay down beside her. She curled up next to me. Pretty soon we fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Review or comment ~puppy eyes~


	13. Chapter 13

I woke up the next morning pretty early. There wasn't much to do as far as I could tell so I spent the morning cleaning the rest of the house up. Licorice was nowhere to be seen, which wasn't surprising. She was probably out hunting butterflies. I smiled at the thought.

As I pulled the last root out of my ceiling I heard someone coming down the hatch into the house. I turned and saw Jack. I laughed. "You know you're definitely becoming a regular here," I said. He smiled back and walked over.   
"Have you been outside yet?" he asked. I shook my head. He faked a gasp and grabbed my hand.   
"Come on then! You have to see it! I think I did pretty well," he smirked. I laughed and flew out with him.   
I gasped. "Oh my god Jack. It's beautiful," I said grinning. The snow was a pearly white and covered everything. There was a layer of frost over top of everything, adding an extra layer of glitter. I smiled and looked at him. He smiled back.   
"Come on! I challenge you to a snowball fight!" I laughed flying down. I threw one at him and he dodged.   
He wagged a finger at me. "Oh no you don't! I always throw the first one!" He said throwing one at me. I laughed as it hit me in the shoulder.   
"Oh no you didn’t!" I laughed. We did this for about an hour before I collapsed in laughter. Apparently Jack was very good at snowball fights. He ran over and collapsed next to me.   
"Well that was fun," I said looking at the sky. He nodded.   
"We have to go back to the pole. Sandy told me last night there was a problem," he said. I nodded. I had been expecting a call back from north for a while. I sighed and stood up. "Then we should probably go then," I said, "Just let me see if Licorice is in the house."   
I flew over quickly and sighed again. She was asleep on my bedside table, next to my tooth box. I picked it up. Did I want to take it back to Tooth? Did I want to leave it here? Did I want them knowing I knew my center and past? Not really. I decided to tell Jack or Tooth first, later. I wanted to think for a bit first. I stuck the box in my drawer and flew back up, closing and locking the door. I didn’t want Licorice out of the house if I was gonna be up north for a long time.

We flew there in pretty much silence. There wasn’t much to talk about. We landed in front of North's workshop. We walked in and everything looked normal, but we knew better. The last time we let our guard down in this place Pitch kinda kidnapped us. We walked in a little farther and were relieved to hear North in his workshop. We walked in there and saw all the guardians assembled.   
"Hey guys! What’s going on? What wrong?" I asked. They looked at me sadly. I looked at them closer.   
"What’s wrong?" I asked, worried now.   
Tooth came over and looked at me closer. "You really don't know yet do you?" she said. I looked at Jack, and he looked at the floor.   
"What? What happened?" I almost screamed. What had happened that was so terrible. Tooth sighed and looked at me.   
"I'm really sorry Samhain. Jack told us you had a sort of friend that you visited on Halloween. Was he telling the truth?" she said. I nodded and looked deeper into her eyes. She looked sadder.   
"We were kind of friends. I mean, we didn’t really talk about our pasts, we just talked about other stuff, and I would kind of be her entertainment at her parties. I liked her though, and I know she looks forward to seeing me each year, and we miss each other and stuff. Why? What happened to her?" I said. I was really worried now. I would be really upset if something bad happened to her, she had been one of my only living friends for the last few years. If she was hurt I didn’t know what I would do.

Tooth sighed again. "She's dead Samhain. Pitch got to her. He scared her so bad she had a heart attack. He claims it was accidental but I'm not sure. We think he may have been trying to get back at you for something," she said reaching for my shoulder. I stumbled backwards and Jack tried to stop me.   
"No," I whispered, "No, no, no!" I said getting louder each time, "This can’t be happening. Not again. - I killed another girl? No! Not again," I said shaking my head and letting tears fall. I was now responsible for another death, another should free in heaven, another family's devastation. I shook my head again and crumpled, trying to back up towards the door. "No, no, no, no, no," I whispered looking at my hands, and sitting on my knees. Jack kneeled next to me, and Tooth shooed the others away. I could tell they didn’t want to, but they did eventually.   
"Samhain?" Jack said. I ignored him. "Samhain, look at me," he grabbed my chin and lifted my head to look at him. “You didn’t kill her Pitch did. Don't blame yourself, OK?" he said. I looked down again.   
Tooth kneeled next to Jack in front of me. "Samhain don’t blame yourself for this OK? If you do anything blame him, not yourself," she said. I shook my head and wiped the tears away.   
"I have to go," I said. I unfolded my wings and flapped them once before Jack grabbed me. "Samhain. Your chest is still infected. You're still not in top form. Don’t go after him. Don't be stupid," he said. I nodded and flew off. I didn't care what they said. I was going for Pitch.

I arrived at the pond where North had said he lived, and saw a bed. Obviously Pitch's entrance. I jumped down the hole beneath the bed and came out in his lair. He was sitting atop the cages. I could still see the fairies, none looked hurt.   
"What have you done?!" I shouted at him, shooting a bit of magic at him. He laughed and dodged. "I see the guardians have told you about your dear friend Sonya," he laughed looking at me. I growled and tried to shoot him again. He jumped down to stand behind me. I turned my staff into my trusty katana and turned to face him. "Was it on purpose Pitch? Were you trying to hurt me again? Were you trying to tell me something? Get back at me? Or did she do something that called for death?" I said pointing my katana at him. He laughed and shook his head.   
"All of the above sis. All of the above. You were stupid, joining the guardians." I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off, "Don’t you dare tell me you're still neutral. I know you're with them and against me, and I know how you feel about Frost. Don’t you dare argue. I see the way you look at him. I know everything about everyone anyway. I know you're terrified of losing him. Well you're afraid of losing Tooth and all the guardians, but your fear with him is stronger. I was gonna kill him, but hey, this was more fun. The girl deserved it! She became friends with you! Anyone who does that deserves i-" I screamed and cut him off. I ran at him (He had teleported away from me) and slashed at him. He laughed and teleported to the top of the cages. I didn’t bother trying to fly up there, he would just teleport again. "Coward!" I shrieked.   
He laughed. "No! Just smart sis! I wish you would have remained with me for more lessons. You could have used them," he called down to me, "but don’t you worry. I'll fix that soon enough!" he said and then I was in the woods.

His lair was just.... gone. My chest began to hurt and I looked down. The black was spreading again. I sighed and looked up. Of course Pitch would do this. Of course he would destroy a little piece of my soul, and then goad me into trying to fight, then just disappear leaving a cryptic message in his place. I rolled my eyes and flew back to the house. "Crap," I said as I saw Jack in my yard. He was glaring up at me. I had only started to slow when he started telling me off.

"I thought I told you not to be stupid! I thought you said you weren’t going to tell Pitch off?" He said accusingly. I was about to answer when I felt a wave of dizziness. I put my feet on the ground and stumbled, putting my hand to my head. Once again, Jack was there to catch me. "You OK?" he asked. I looked at him about to answer when my chest began to hurt again. I just nodded. No need to give him more fodder for his anger. "I thought I told you not to go," he said shaking his head, while I stood up on my own again.   
"I know Jack. I just couldn’t help myself," I said quietly. I was in a ton of pain, but I didn’t want to let him know that.   
He looked at the ground again. "I know. I'm sorry. You must feel awful," he said. I looked at him.   
"Of course I do. I'm responsible for yet another death Jack. How would that make you feel?"   
He looked at me. "It isn’t your fault! It was Pitch's!" He said.   
This time it was my turn to scoff and shake my head. "Jack. I just talked to him. He said he killed her because she became friends with me. He was mad at me and because of that a girl died. He was mad because I joined the guardians against him, and he no longer sees me as a neutral party. He said anyone who became close to me deserves to die Jack. That's what he said. Still think it's not my fault?" I said raising my voice.   
He raised his hand and shut his eyes. "Samhain. Yes I do still think it was Pitch. He is trying to get you off of your game. He is trying to bug you. If I had any real mortal friends, if any of us did, he would have done the same to us, but you're the only one who can be visible and tries to make mortal friends. Don't blame yourself for her death," he said. I nodded and sighed.


	14. Chapter 14

This was going to be difficult. I still blamed myself but I didn’t let anyone know that. I was at home. It had been three days since I found out about Sonya's death. I was sitting staring at the ceiling when I heard a knock at the door. I flew up and opened it, seeing Tooth outside I smiled.   
"Hey. How are you?" I asked.   
She smiled back. "Fine, fine. How are you?" she asked.   
"Coping," I said shrugging. I showed her into the living room and sat down.  
"What’s new with you guys?" I asked quickly.   
She shrugged and laughed. "Absolutely nothing. North has been obsessing over Christmas and it’s only November," she said. I laughed. "Of course he is. Is he driving you nuts yet?" She laughed and nodded. We sat there for a while, until I heard Licorice scratching at my bedroom door. I laughed and stood up. "One sec I gotta let her out." I ran and opened the door, but stopped when I saw that my memory box was on the floor. I stooped and picked it up, looking at Licorice. She stared back as if telling me to talk to Tooth. I nodded and stood up, carrying the box in my right hand. She looked back at me and gasped.

"Samhain. Where did you get that?" she asked. I shook my head. "Pitch was trying to goad me into a fight a while back. Sorry I didn’t tell you. I took a look. My center is courage," I said looking at and fiddling with the box in my lap. She was silent. I looked at her and she was nodding.   
She held her hand out. "Thanks for telling me. Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked.   
I placed the box in her hand and nodded. "My dad was an alcoholic after my mom dies. She died after giving birth to the twins. My younger siblings, Josh and Laura. Anyways he used to get drunk, and he would beat us. He was very violent, and I was often afraid for them, they were so young. When my father was angry at them I would take their beatings. He got mad, enraged actually, and went to beat them. I jumped in front. He used everything he could get his hands on, a bottle and a chair particularly. I don't remember what else there was, but there were other objects," I shuddered at the memory, "He hit me in the head a few too many times. My dying words were to tell them to pity him, not fear him. To stand up to what you're afraid of. Don't be afraid of it, find the light in it. It was my death that caused him to sober up," I said tears falling freely from my eyes. I didn't enjoy remembering this. I looked at tooth and she put a hand on my shoulder.   
"That was so brave," she said, "I understand why you got your job and your center. I'm sorry you had to remember something like that, are you OK?" she asked.   
I shook my head. "I just wish I could have seen them grow up, seen them mature and help them more. I wish I could have seen my dad sober, I wish I could have done more for them. I didn't do much. I- I gave them a dad, but made them lose a sister."   
Tooth shook her head. "Samhain, god damn it, you're so hard on yourself. You are," she said seeing my skeptical expression. "You did everything for those kids. You may have left them, but you taught them a lesson. You taught them how to stand up to their fears, you gave them a father. That meant everything to them. I know that. I know they grew up to be great, I remember their teeth. Beautiful and wonderful memories, of you and of their lives within them. Don't worry about it OK?" she asked. I nodded and hugged her. "Thanks Tooth. You really are great," I said smiling at her. "I try," she laughed. I laughed back.

We spent the afternoon together just hanging out. It was so nice to just have a girl friend. So nice. She was so much fun, but the crappy part was when she had to get back to the Tooth palace for work.   
"Go on, have fun. Maybe go into the field?" I laughed as I saw her to the door. She laughed and shook her head. "Nah, I don't think so," she said. She waved as she flew off and I waved back before closing the door. Now I was alone. I went to my room and sighed, there was nothing to do anymore. The years had always been boring except for September and October. Those months were my time to shine. I sighed, thinking about that. I had another twelve months to wait, a whole year of doing nothing. I shook my head at the thought. This year would be different, I was a guardian now, and even if it wasn't 'official' I was a guardian for this year. Maybe it would be just this year, but one year is better than no years. I smiled a bit and chuckled, kneeling down and stroking Licorice. I sighed again and stood up; I quickly flew to the woods. I planned on spending the night by the waterfall a little ways away from Jack's pond.

I flew into the yard and saw that Tooth had been gonna almost an hour, judging by the fact that the moon was starting to become clear in the evening sky. I watched the ground as I flew, but before I was fully out of the yard I saw something on the ground. Something that shouldn’t be there. I glided to the ground and saw a person. I ran over and saw it was Jack.   
"Oh no no no," I muttered. He wasn’t moving. "Jack!" I cried as I came within a few feet. He didn't move. He was lying on his stomach so I turned him over. He groaned.   
"Jack?! Are you OK?" I said. He didn’t answer. He was pretty beat up, then I saw it. I saw a tiny vein of black creeping up his neck. "Shit! No no no," I said moving his collar. There was more, finally I just took his hoodie off. He had a stab wound like mine, and black covering the area around it. I heard a laugh and turned. Pitch was standing there, laughing his ass off.

"What have you done?" I said pulling my staff on him. He laughed even harder. "Don't worry Samhain. It's curable. I have the antidote right here," he pulled out a little vile of clear liquid. "What do I have to do to get that from you?" I said, knowing there was a catch. "Well let me think. Come back to me sis, and it will be alright. Just come to my side, and I will let him live. I know you have a thing for him. I know you like him," he said grinning, "and I know you'll do anything to save him. So just agree and he'll live. Just agree Samhain," he said waving the vile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Review or Comment PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!!!!


	15. Chapter 15

Samhain's POV:

"Just remember, if you agree to this your word is binding. The only way for you to get out of it is for them to take you from my side. It has to be the guardians though. They have to literally kidnap you," he said grinning and laughing.   
I glared at him, "You're right. I would do anything for him," I said through gritted teeth. I felt Jack move beneath me, and I whipped my head around to look at him.   
He clutched at my shoulder, "No. No Samhain. Don't do it," he said through a cough. I shook my head. The darkness and fear were getting to him, I could see it. I turned back to Pitch.   
"I'll do it, just give me the bottle," I said reaching towards him. He laughed and tossed it to me. I bit off the cork and opened Jack's mouth.   
"I’m so sorry Jack," I said pouring the stuff down his throat. He choked it down and I stood up, and laid him gently on the ground. I glared at Pitch as I walked towards him. "Happy now?" I said angrily, tears welling in my eyes.   
"No. I will not be happy until I have him," He waved to Jack, "on my side, and the guardians have been defeated. I'm so glad you came to your senses, sis. I have missed you," he said. I looked at the ground, resisting the urge to hit him across the face. I ran back to Jack and gave him a hug, whispering a quick apology in his ear. I walked back to Pitch, the tears falling freely now.   
"Stop that," Pitch scolded. "You must stop all emotion now. There is no need for it at my side," he said. I nodded and looked up at him. He opened a portal to his lair and we went through it.

Jack's POV:

"All I can remember was feeling Pitch stab me, and then it was black. I passed out, then I heard Pitch tell her to join him, so she could get the antidote for me, I told her not to, then it was black again. I woke up, again heard her agree and then she was pouring the stuff down my throat. Next thing I know I'm waking up here," I said to the guardians. We were all sitting around a table in North’s office. I saw Tooth shake her head, and the others were all looking at the table, clearly puzzled about something. I looked at each of them in turn.   
Bunny was the first to look up. "Then she's the enemy now. I knew she was trouble."   
I stared at him. "What do you mean 'she's the enemy'? Is there no way we can help her?" I asked.   
North shook his head. "No. She is with Pitch now. I hate to say it. I know you and Tooth were close to her, but she is as bad as Pitch now, and she must also be vanquished," he said solemnly.   
I glared at him. "No. there has to be some way to help her. If there wasn't then the man in the moon wouldn’t have picked her. The man in the moon tells us our destiny, and he said her destiny was to be a guardian," I said, getting angrier by the second. There had to be some way. I didn't fully know why I was this upset about it. I felt like something was crushing me, some great weight was placed upon me. I thought about it. Every time I was with her I felt like nothing could touch me, I felt happy, and she was a great person. I needed to get her back. She had done this for me, and I felt like it was my fault, but there was also something else. Something I couldn't place. I saw Sandy nod, and I smiled at him.   
"I know she will not always be with him. The man in the moon said so, but until she is no longer siding with him, she is the enemy. She will be treated as such," North said with a sigh.   
I shook my head. "I'm going to find her," I said standing up, and walking out ignoring their protests.

Samhain's POV:

We arrived at Pitch's place pretty quick.   
"Make yourself comfortable," he said. I rolled my eyes and stood where I was. I wasn't going to make myself comfortable if it was with Pitch. I hoped that Jack had heard what Pitch had said about how to get me out of here. I sighed and looked around. "This isn’t your lair," I said. The fairies and their cages were gone. Even the boxes of teeth were gone.   
"Are you honestly that stupid? I don't only have one lair. I live in multiple places all over the world. We will be moving places every few days. We can’t have your precious guardians finding you now can we?" He said looking at me. I nodded. Of course not. I stood by the door and watched him. He had a few nightmares guarding the place. I walked over to one and pet its muzzle. "Who's a pretty little nightmare?" I asked it. I shuddered. I sounded like Pitch right there. The nightmare nuzzled my hand and I smiled a bit, at least I could have something like me here. I heard Pitch come up behind me. "Why yes, yes she is. Would you like to have her as your own?" he asked. I glanced at him. "Now why would you do that? You love your nightmares," I said. He shrugged. "If you are to be my apprentice you need to be acquainted with them." I nodded. "Her name is now Audentia," I said. The word was Latin for courage, but I hoped Pitch didn't know that. Pitch nodded.   
"Know this Samhain. I know what that means and I don't like it, but you may do as you please. She is yours."   
I nodded. "Thank you."

"Let me show you to where you will be staying," he said turning away. I followed him. He teleported up to a room with a barred door. "You will sleep in here, locked in of course. Somehow I don't trust you to stay. You wouldn't be able to get far, but I somehow think you will find a loophole in the agreement," he said grinning.   
I rolled me eyes again. "Of course you do."   
He laughed. "Now don't go in there. We have some training to do today," he said. I looked at him. "We will be shutting down you emotions," he said with a wicked grin. I stared at him with wide eyes. "Oh no."

Jack's POV:

I flew into the night. It was past daylight now, way past, but sunrise would be soon. I had a feeling it would be anyways. I had searched Pitch's lair. She wasn't there, and neither was he. I figured they wouldn’t be there. I had tried three other possible places. North had once said that he had many Lairs, and had given me a map, but I hadn’t thought it was true, but every idea was invited here. I was in Canada now, and there was one lair here. I flew all the way to British Columbia by morning. There was supposed to be a lair by the Fraser river there, but I wasn’t sure where.

Samhain's POV:

Pitch pushed me into a chair. "Sit there," he said. I obeyed. I looked at him and he smirked. "I am giving you the option of doing this yourself Samhain. If you don't do it yourself, I will be forced to do it for you," he said. I nodded, even though I was planning on fighting it as best I could. "Now close your eyes and empty your mind," he said. I closed my eyes, and I emptied my mind, we almost emptied it. I kept one thought on my mind, as a sort of anchor. "Now find your emotions. Think of them as a river flowing through your mind. Now build a dam blocking the river," he said soothingly. I pretended to, but I knew he was catching on. "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk, Samhain. You have one more chance. Try again," he said. I disobeyed once more, and he growled. "I guess I'm doing this for you," he said. He put his hands on my shoulders. "Open your eyes, you stupid girl," he said. I opened them. He looked me in the eyes. "Close them again," he barked. I did so, and I could feel him in my head. "Clear your mind now," he said. I did, except for the anchor. I concentrated on my anchor. I felt him pry deeper and deeper in my head. This was starting to become painful, but I kept concentrating on my anchor. He pried deeper and deeper, but I kept defying it. He gave up soon and smacked me across the face, knocking me out. This was relieving since he couldn’t do anything if my mind was inactive.

Jack's POV:

I flew down to the edge of the river. I saw a bed with a hole beneath it. Obviously Pitch's lair. I ran to it and jumped down the tunnel. I arrived in a cave, pretty much an exact replica of Pitch's lair by my pond, but there were no cages of fairies, and no mountains of teeth boxes. I crept through the place. There were many many hallways and places they could be. I found myself in a room, and I saw Samhain in a chair. My heart skipped a beat. She looked exhausted and hurt. I saw pitch there, and he said something and hit her. I fought against an urge to run out there and kick his ass. I knew that would just get us both in trouble though. I could tell she was knocked out and I got even more pissed off. How dare he? I clutched the rock of the wall and sighed, as I watched him pick her up and take her to a room up near the roof. He closed the door, which was made of bars, and lock it. She was a prisoner? That was strange, but it made sense. I watched until he was gone. It took a while, but I saw him teleport to her door.

"Ah, good, you're up. I have some errands to run, you know, nightmares to create, children to scare. I will be back shortly," he said, "and when I get back we can return to your training," he said. He laughed and teleported out of the room. I waited a while to make sure he was really gone, and then I flew up to the door. I peered in and saw Samhain sitting in the corner, against the wall. She turned and looked at me. I saw her eyes pop open with shock.

Samhain's POV:

I woke up slowly, and when I did I saw that I was in my cage. Of course he would lock me up. He didn’t trust me. Now I was damned screwed. I looked around and sat up. I was laying on the floor, on a very hard bedroll. Of course he would make sure I was miserable. My head was pounding, and I'm sure there was a goose egg there now. He had always been a bit rough. After a while I saw him come to the door.   
"What do you want?" I spat at him. He told me what he was doing. I rolled my eyes and responded, "Whatever you wish Pitch. Not like I can stop you." He laughed and left. I sat on the floor. I was miserable now. I hoped to the man in the man that Jack heard Pitch when he said that the only way for me to be freed was to be kidnapped. I really hoped that. I looked around and sighed, closing my eyes. The pain in my brain faded a bit then. I sighed in relief and heard movement. I snapped open my eyes and sighed once again. "What? Forget something Pit-" the words died in my mouth as I turned and saw Jack standing there. I stood up and ran to the bars. I clutched them. "Tell me this isn’t a dream. Please tell me you’re real," I said. He nodded.   
"It isn’t. I'm going to get you out of here," he said. I shook my head. "Jack. It isn't that easy. You and the others have to literally kidnap me. And the others have to be here. I remember these rules. It's binding. I'm so sorry Jack. You have to go, before he comes back."

Jack's POV:

"Ok. I'm gonna get the others," I said quietly to her. She looked scared, but I knew otherwise. "Promise me you'll fight," I said. She nodded. "I will." I looked at her. "It isn't your fault Samhain. I shouldn't have listened to him goad me. He challenged me to a fight and I accepted. My fault you're in this mess," I said. She nodded and I said, "I promise I will be back shortly," and I flew off to get the others.

Samhain's POV:

I watched him go and sat in the corner. Thank goodness he had come looking for me. I heard someone else come in the room, and looked over to see Pitch. "Ready to continue?" he said maliciously. I gulped and nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, Reviews, or comments are all very appreciated!!!!  
> I found the name Audentia by looking up Courage in Latin in Google translate, so I have no idea how accurate that is. If anyone is willing to correct me, please do!


	16. Chapter 16

Pitch forced me into the chair again. "Now you stupid girl, actually completely empty your mind," he said. I did so, except for my anchor. The anchor needed to stay. There was no fighting that. He attempted to bar my emotions again, and then slapped me... again. "Come on now. I don't need an emotional scene when we relieve this world of the guardians. We don't need you blubbering, or holding back when the time comes to it," he said. I sat back up and glared at him.

This went on for a full week. I was at this moment sitting in the corner of my cell, battered and bruised. Where was Jack? He said he would be back, and he wasn't back yet.   
Pitch came to the door. "Ready to try again?" He asked. I stood up and plunked down in the chair. He laughed. "Feeling cheeky today huh?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and shrugged. He laughed. We did the same old routine, but he didn't stop when he usually did. He pried deeper and deeper in my mind, and it actually began to get painful. I shrieked and heard him chuckle.   
"Just let go sis. Just let go and the pain will stop." I held on. He pried deeper. At some point I felt something within me snap. The pain stopped and I heard Pitch laughing. I opened my eyes.

I was laying on the floor, and something was wrong. I felt empty, very, very empty. As if there was a hole in my very core. I looked up at Pitch and felt nothing.   
"Ah, see sis. What did I tell you. It worked. Feel better?" he asked touching my shoulder. I simply nodded and stood up. "What are we going to do now?" I asked. I realized my voice was incredibly monotone. This should have shocked me, but it didn't. He laughed again. I looked at him. "We are going to let the guardians come to us," he said. I nodded and flew to my cell. He walked off, and I looked around. I realized that my emotions were gone. I knew this should sadden me, but it didn't. I laid down on my bedroll and slept.

3 days passed with no sign of the guardians. We had moved Lairs, and Pitch continued to train me. I had become a better fighter, and my magic had become stronger. Which was a good thing I guess, but I was so empty. There was no point to training. there was no point to anything, not anymore. I could tell Pitch was getting frustrated. I didn't want to do anything, when I felt nothing, and the guardians had yet to appear. He was trying to get me to train my fighting abilities, but I just didnt want to. I had decided to fight back in my own little way. I may not be able to feel emotions, but I still knew right and wrong, and I knew Pitch was evil, and I didn't want to side with him. At all. i was just about to throw a punch when we heard a crash behind us. I turned around, holding my staff at the ready. The guardians were standing there, ready for a fight.

"Guys!" I called out. They looked at me, and I saw Jack smile at me. I kept a straight face. Pitch walked up behind me. "Oh finally. I have been waiting for this," he said pulling out his scythe. "Samhain! attack them," he commanded. I had to obey.   
"I'm sorry!" I called out and attacked. Instead of my usual Katana, I made my staff turn into cutlass. I ran to Jack first, and said, "I'm sorry. You explained it right?" he nodded. I kept fighting. After a few minutes, I heard Pitch speak up again. "That's enough Samhain, come to my side." I stopped what I was doing and sulked to his side. I didn't want to do it, but I did. I felt all their eyes on me. I stared back. "Now looky here all of you. Look at my perfect specimen," I glanced at him, but he kept going, "She came here by her own free will, and gave up her emotions. She is now fully on my side and cares about nothing. She has become a zombie who is to take my orders. She will do anything for me, and you can do nothing to stop it," He said grinning. I shook my head at them, and mouthed 'do it now!' to them. I may not have emotions, but I still knew what I had wanted before they were taken from me. Jack turned to the others and nodded. He ran at Pitch and hit him, knocking him out. North lumbered over to me and shoved me in a bag. I fought back. Pitch woke up then. I heard him. "Samhain! Fight back!" I did so. That was stupid of him. They had to take me against my will. That was how to get me out of Pitch's control.

I felt us go through a portal, and I calmly walked out of the bag when we landed.   
"Thank you," I said. They looked at me. "What?" I asked.   
"Did he really take your emotions?" Jack asked. I nodded.   
"It will be an easy fix though." I replied. I sat down and closed my eyes. I dug through my head, and found my anchor. I pulled it out of my head and grabbed Tooth's hand.   
"I need help with this," I said. She nodded and sat next to me. I drew on her magic and saw the block Pitch had put in my head. I concentrated on it, and eventually broke it. A wave of emotions hit me. I almost fell backwards. I opened my eyes wide and blinked. "Damn. Yup they're back," I said rubbing my head. Everyone laughed at my expression. "I have to say. Never going without them again," I said. They laughed again."Why didn't you do that before?" Jack asked. I shrugged. "The block was to powerful. Sorry tooth, needed some of your magic," I answered. She nodded. "Glad to have you back," she said. I nodded, then a sudden realization struck. "Oh shit! Have any of you been watching Licorice?" I asked. Jack laughed. "Do you really think I wouldn't have been? I checked her. Multiple times." I smiled at him. "Thanks."

I flew back home on my own that night. I was so glad to be back, I would never do that again. Never. I landed in my yard and sighed. It was so good to be back. I flew and was just about to go inside when I heard something from behind the house. I walked around and saw a nightmare standing there She whinnied at me. I prepared to fight it if need be, but then I got a good look at it. "Audentia?" I asked. She trotted over and I held out my hand. she nuzzled it. "Hey girl," I said smiling and petting her muzzle. Looks like I'll be having another house guest.

I walked inside and picked up Licorice, and gave her a big hug. "How are you girl?" I said petting her. She purred and head butted me. I laughed. She was such a good cat. Audentia trotted into the room and Licorice jumped from my arms. I watched as they sniffed eachother. It took a minute, but pretty soon Licorice was headbutting Audentia and she was doing the same. I smiled to myself and went to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave anything you think will help me out here >_


	17. Chapter 17

I woke up the next morning and sighed with joy. It was good to be home. I spent way too long in a cell. I sat up and stretched, looking around my room. Audentia and licorice were nowhere to be seen. I raised an eyebrow in confusion and walked out into the yard. It was December now. Almost Christmas time. I smiled as I stepped onto the frosty grass by the door. I looked around, having a weird feeling they were out there. I smiled even wider when I saw them playing with each nother by the treeline. Audentia was kicking a ball around and Licorice was chasing it. I watched for a while and then shivered, realizing I was only in my shorts and tank top. I turned to go inside when I heard a voice behind me.   
"Cold?" Jack asked. I grinned and shook my head. "Not at all," I said sarcastically turning my head to look at him. He smirked.   
"Well not as cold as most people," I said as I opened the door. I could feel cold, just not very well. Perks of being a fall spirit. I flew down the trunk of the tree and Jack followed into the living room.

He looked around and then sat on the couch. I walked into my room and quickly changed into my usual leggings and hoodie then plopped down next to him.   
"Whats on the agenda for today?" I asked him.He looked at me and shrugged. "I dunno. Wanna go bug north?" He asked.   
I looked at him, startled. "Are you crazy? He must be stressed out of his mind. Christmas is only a few weeks away," I said. He shrugged and flashed me a toothy grin.   
"I know. That's the whole point. He needs some stress relief," he said. He flew into the yard, and I bit my lip, unsure. I sighed and followed him out the door. We flew to the pole in record time and ran inside. The place was in total anarchy. The yetis were running all over the place, the elves were making a mess of Christmas lights and wrapping paper, and North was upstairs looking at the globe and shouting orders.  
I rolled my eyes as Jack flew up to him, and followed. I watched as Jack landed beside him, and stuck an arm around his shoulders, and did the same on the other side.

"Hey North," Jack said with a goofy grin. I laughed a bit.   
"Hello," North replied. I laughed and said a quick hey, then looked at Jack trying to ask what we were doing here with my facial expression. He shook his head to me, then looked back at North, who had gotten free of us and was heading towards the stairs. "Where you goin?" Jack called to him. I rolled my eyes again.   
"Downstairs obviously," I replied, and we followed him.   
He turned to us. "There something you two want?" He asked.   
"To help," I said.  
"To bug you," Jack said. I sighed, shaking my head at him.   
North glanced at him. "You're already doing that," he said, then he looked at me, "Thanks. Can you help Phil paint the robots?" He said. I nodded. He looked back to Jack. "You too," he ordered and he went back to what he was doing.

I flew down to Phil, who was painting robots blue. I laughed. He looked at me puzzled."Aren't those a bit Eastery? North will want them red," I said. Jack landed beside me and nodded. Phil threw his arms in the air and sighed, a growly kinda sigh. I laughed even harder. I sat down and we set to work. It was actually kinda fun. For a guy who doesn't talk, Phil was actually fun to be around. Jack and I left at about 8 at night. I started heading home when he stopped me.

"I want to show you something," he said to me. I looked at him confused, then shrugged. He grabbed my hand and we flew the opposite way. I watched the scenery flying by beneath us and smiled. We were over a bunch of woods. Jack definitely seemed to like forests, but then again, I did too. I grinned as we landed. We were by a lake. A dark blue lake covered in frosty ice, surrounded by a circle of frosty white and green grass, and beneath a full moon and a clear sky of bright, twinkly stars. I smiled and breathed a soft breath of surprise. It was so beautiful. I walked towards the lake and stepped onto the ice. Jack pulled out some skates.   
"Wanna go?" he asked. I nodded taking the skates.   
"Ever done this before?" he asked. I shook my head. He grinned, a twinkle in his eyes. "You're gonna love it. There is just one rule. No floating to make it easier, until you get the hang of it," he said. I stuck my tongue out at him, and laughed.   
"Of course not," I said jokingly. I stood up and wobbled to the ice. Jack grabbed my elbows and helped me the first bit, then he let go and I slipped. He suppressed a laugh, and I rolled my eyes as he helped me up. "Too sudden?" He asked.   
"You think?" I said. He couldn't contain his laughter any more and he guffawed loudly. I stuck my tongue out at him again.

Pretty soon after that I got the hang of it. We were in the middle of the lake now. I laughed and slid around, Jack floating above me. We were having a snowball fight, with snow that Jack had brought with him. It was actually really fun. I laughed, until I heard the crack. I looked down and tried to undo my wings, but it was too late. I fell through, and if I pulled out my wings that would just cause extra weight. I sunk pretty far, not really noticing the cold. I had gone numb from it. I looked around me. It was dark. I blew some bubbles, then started to follow them. I was starting to panic. I was running out of air and the edges of my vision started to turn even darker. I hit ice. 'Shit!' I thought as I banged my fists on the ice. I could see Jack. He was trying to melt the ice. I punched at it, as I felt it thinning. At this point my lungs were burning, just screaming for air. I punched at the ice, but I was starting to float downwards a bit. I swam back up and then sadly I couldn't handle it again. I didn't even mean too. I took a breath. Ice cold water filled my nose and mouth. I coughed and pounded harder at the ice. It started to crack. My vision went dark again. The last thought I had was that Jack must know how this feels. It had happened to him before....

I woke up to Jack performing CPR on me. I turned myself onto my side, curling into a ball, and coughed up water. "Damn, Didnt see that coming," I said weakly joking, after all the water was out of me. He laughed and hugged me. "Thank the moon your OK!" He said.

Then, all of a sudden, he kissed me. Full on, on the lips, kissed me. My eyes opened wide in disbelief. I had realized I liked Jack way before this, but I hadn't thought he had liked me back. I closed my eyes and kissed him back. Pretty soon he leaned back and laughed. "YES!" he said loudly, with a fist pump. I looked at him quizzically. "Didn't think you liked me back," he said shrugging. I smiled back at him and stood up. I was a bit shaky, but I was OK. Jack grabbed my hand and we started to fly back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for keeping with me through all these chapters :) Love anyone and everyone reading this :3


	18. Chapter 18

We flew back in silence. I was in complete and utter happiness. Jack liked me back. I hadn't expected him too. Never expected him too, and I was so glad he did. I smiled in his direction, but he was looking at the sky. He was so cute like that. I blushed at the thought, and shook my head as I watched the ground preparing to land.

We landed in my yard,and were greeted by Audentia and Licorice.   
"Of course you two were waiting," I laughed, "You always are," I said picking up Licorice and nestling my face in her fur. She was even darker than normal, and even fluffier due to her winter coat. We walked in and he plunked on the couch again. "You are too good at making yourself at home," I pretended to scold, and laughed when he rolled his eyes. "Be right back," I said and I walked to my room to change. My clothes were still semi wet, and I didn't like it all that much. I was glad Jack was hanging around, but I was starting to get tired. I glanced at the clock and did a double take. It was almost midnight.

"Have you noticed the time?" I exclaimed coming out of my room. He glanced up and looked, then made a surprised face. "Not until now," he said.

I shook my head. "I should probably go to bed. I promised Tooth I would go over there and help collect teeth tomorrow," I said shaking my head. I didn't want to have to kick him out, but I had to get up early. "Shoo,' I said grinning at him. He laughed and left.

A few weeks later...

It was Christmas eve. I was flitting around North's workshop helping out with final preparations when Tooth came over. "North wants you," she said. I nodded. He probably had a chore for me to do. He was stressed out of his mind. I flew all the way to his office in record timing. "Whats up?" I asked as I landed. He smiled at me, and I noticed Jack was standing there too. I glanced at him, then back to North. "Something wrong?" I asked. He nodded. "I want you to deliver presents with me tonight. I am worried about Pitch trying to attack the sleigh and prevent presents from being delivered," he said. I nodded. "I could most likely take him on myself but I want to be absolutely certain we don't lose Christmas," he said to us. We nodded. I understood.

I flew back down to the toy workshop and flitted around, pinting this, repairing, that, and yelling at whoever. I was kind of enjoying myself when North announced it was time to load up. We got the sleigh loaded and ready for take off in under ten minutes. North Jumped behind the reigns, and Jack and I took the back seat. "Ready to go?" he yelled. We nodded. "Buckle up!" he shouted and we took off. I loved the sleigh. It was one of the most badass thing ever. When I had first pictured the sleigh I had thought of an old rickety wooden thing. Oh I had been wrong. This was my second time in the sleigh, but it was a totally different experience this time. "Why are we going so much faster tonight?" I yelled above the wind.   
"Wonder is what allows the reindeer to fly, and it helps them go faster. The more there is the better. Usually there is enough left over to keep them flying the rest of the year, but we always go faster on Christmas eve," he said. I could almost see a gleam in his eye as he looked at us over his shoulder.

We landed on the first house after about 10 minutes. North went down first, and Jack followed, while I stayed behind to watch the sleigh. Jack and I would switch every house that we stopped at. It was a fairly peaceful night until we hit Burgess. I looked at the sky, and realized all the stars and the moon were blocked by darkness. "Jack look up!" I shouted. I heard him gasp, then the sleigh hit something and we crashed.   
"What the hell?" I asked a bit dazed. I looked around us, and realized we were on the ground. "North what happened?" I asked. He shook his head.   
"There is something very wrong," he said. Well, no really? I thought. I heard a laugh above us, and as I looked up I already knew Pitch was there.

"What did you do?" I shouted at him, but he just laughed. I rolled my eyes and he laughed even harder. "Why, I blocked all wonder. The kids here are sleeping in their beds, with no sugarplums in their head. They are all having nightmares. They all think you didn't come," he said.   
I growled at him. Leave it to Pitch to do something like this. "You Jerk," I yelled pulling out my staff. I turned it into a bow and tried to shoot him out of the air. He laughed again and dodged, but Jack took the opportunity to shoot him with ice. That struck and he fell to the ground. I laughed as he landed in a giant snowbank. He stood up and brushed himself off, then I saw some of the darkness float down from the sky and turn into a scythe in his hand. I turned my staff into a katana, and laughed again. This was gonna be fun.

I ran at him and tried to slash him, but he dodged and tried to get me, and I dodged. I tried to stab him in the chest, but missed and hit his arm. He howled in rage and pain as the blade pulled from his arm, blood freely falling to the ground, and then he came at me. Jack was off to the side a bit trying to shoot him with ice, and miss me. North I could tell was sort of weak since there was not enough wonder here, so I shouted at him, "Stay back! We got this!" and I tried to stab again, but he pounced me. I tried to dodge but he was now pinning me to the ground with his knees. He punched me. I felt stars as the the hit bruised my jaw. He laughed and then held the scythe to my throat. I laid there and panted. He grinned an evil grin at me and pressed a bit harder with the scythe. I could feel blood trickle from the wound, but just at that time Jack hit him with some frost magic and his attention diverted. I rolled and pinned him. I held my sword to his throat and he laughed. "Finally people who know how to have some fun!" he shouted then teleported away. All the darkness went with him. I looked up to the sky and sighed. The moon and the stars were visible now.

I felt a drop of blood fall to my hand and realized the scythe had gone deeper than I had thought. "Damn," I said and I ran to the sleigh for a cloth I knew North kept under the seat in case of repairs. I held it to my throat and pressed. "Will the sleigh start now?" I asked, ignoring the look of concern on their faces. "I'm fine," I muttered. North ran to the front of the sleigh. The reindeer took flight and he grinned, laughing.   
"Yup lets go," he said. Jack and I climbed into the back of the sleigh, and I sat down.

We finished up before sunrise and I went home immediately. I was tired and sore, and I knew the others were probably tired too. I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I was somewhat bruised, and now there was a nice, long, puffy bloody line across my neck. I sighed and cleaned it, not bothering to heal it right now; then walked to my room. There were two boxes on my dresser. I picked up the red and green one first. Inside was a note from North that said:

We will be having our own Christmas celebration with everyone tomorrow.

I smiled and laughed. I had already gotten something for everyone. I had made Tooth a necklace with a wooden locket that was shaped and painted like on of her feathers, that had a picture of everyone in it, North I had just made some cookies and grabbed some tools for him to make toys with, Sandy I had made a new hourglass, Bunny was getting a statue I had made of an Easter egg, and for Jack I had made a snow globe made of ice and real snow. Inside was a wooden model of Burgess. I had been kind of pressed for time and they weren't super creative, but I had made them and I hoped they would like them. I looked under the note and inside was a silver necklace with a silver leaf on it. I grinned and put it on.

I turned to the next bow and frowned. This one was black. "Oh no," I muttered and I opened it. Inside was another note. This one read:

To my sister. Thanks for the fun, and I will be seeing you again - Pitch

My stomach dropped.I looked underneath the note and saw a black Mirror. I picked it up and looked at it. It had a design of flowers, and vines all over the back, and a large S in the center. "Creepy," I said and put it down. I climbed into bed and went to sleep a bit troubled over the note.

The next morning...

I flew to North's immediately after I had done my morning chores. I had gotten dressed, fed Audentia and Licorice, brushed my teeth and put everything in a bag and clipped it to my belt. I landed lightly in the snow outside and walked in. The others greeted me happily, but I could tell they weren't happy seeing my face and neck the way it was. I sighed and looked around. The place was all done up nice, and all the yetis and elves were gone. "Where did everyone else go?" I asked. "Day off. They have their own celebration among themselves," North answered. I nodded.

We all sat down and exchanged gifts. Tooth squealed and put on her necklace, North dug into the cookies,jack shook the snow globe and smiled, Sandy made a thumbs up appear above his head, and Bunny just smiled. I smiled back at them. Jack had given me new skates with a nod, telling me he wanted to go more often with me, North had already given me my necklace, Bunny had given me a Easterified pumpkin, Tooth gave me another necklace, this one had a pumpkin pendant that was gorgeous, and Sandy gave mean hourglass as well, but this one had black and orange sand and was Halloween themed. I loved every single thing they gave me. I grinned at them and said, "Thank you guys. You are all amazing people, and I wish I would have come here before. I was dumb not to." I could feel tear in my eyes, but they were happy tears.

"No need to feel that way," North said. "We are glad you finally came and talked to us. We are happy to be your friends," he said. I smiled at them. I was so happy.

We sat around all day and ate cookies and just hung out. It was a great day. Before I left I pressed a bag of necklaces into Tooth's hand. "For the fairies, when we get them back. I hope there are enough," I said grinning, and then to North, "I left a bunch of cookies for the elves and yetis. Don't touch them," I teased. Then I took off to go home. Jack followed me and when we landed he hugged me. "Merry Christmas," he said. I smiled at him, and hugged him back. "You too," I said and I kissed him before going in. After I was sure he was gone I walked to my room. The mirror was still on my dresser, but I had forgotten to ask the others about it. Oops.   
I had a bad feeling about it, but I wasn't sure why....


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit more violent than normal.... BEWARE!!! ~hides inside box~   
> heh heh anyone get the reference? No? Sorry, I know, I'm lame.. lol

The mirror. It was glowing again. It woke me up from a strange dream of black and fear. Not a nice dream, but I would have taken that over the mirror. I climbed out of the bed and walked to the dresser, almost in a trance.  
I stared at it and tried to pick it up, but it burned me and I dropped it. It began to shake and I forced myself to pick it up, covering my hands with the blanket I had dropped on the floor in my haste to get to the mirror. In thee glass was wispy white fog that was slowly floating across it. I looked closer, and closer at it, not able to control myself. There was spinning and then I was falling.

I wasn't in my room any longer. I was in a place I had hoped to forget. I let a groan escape my throat as I looked down at what I was wearing. The black cloak and clothes I had worn all those years ago. In a time I had always regretted. I looked above me. All I saw was stormy sky and treetops. I was in That forest and fog surrounded me hugging the very fibers of my being. I remembered that fog now. It was cold. so cold and the air stunk of death. A death I had wanted to forget. i looked around me, praying to the man on the moon that he wasn't there. That little boy I had loved in the youth of my existence. The one that Pitch had made me kill.

He was there. He was just how I remembered him, black hair, blue eyed and pale. Pale even before his death. I hadn't wanted to kill him. Pitch had made me think he was something else. Something evil. I had been so scared. I had used my fear on him, and had given him a heart attack. It was that, that very act that had broken me. Made me loathe what I was. Made me loathe what the man in the moon had given me, made me loathe even who I was.This, the memory that had made me choose to seclude myself, not talk to anyone, the reason I had been afraid of meeting people and befriending them. The reason I had been on my own so long I had stopped being believed in. I disappeared from myths and legends and stories. He made me waste almost a full century loathing myself, trying to find a way to make myself fade. Fade from this world. I was weak then, but I had pledged to become stronger, and to get back at Pitch no matter what. I would avenge his death. I looked down at the sand around and on top of him. My sand, the sand I had used to kill him.

I looked down at him. His blue eyes wide in fear, his body positioned in a way that looked like he had had convulsions, blood dripped from his mouth, dripping down the pale blue skin of his cheek and his black hair flowed around his head. I looked down in anger and grit my teeth as I heard the other man come out of the bushes. His slow eager applause ripping through my eardrums and making me grit my teeth even harder. I remembered this and was even able to mouth his words as he said them, my back turned. I had relived this memory so often.

"Well done dear sister. I always told you, to love is to destroy and you have definitely done that here. You have proven yourself so worthy dear sister. Look at him now. I bet you wish you had never betrayed me huh? Telling him who you were, and who I was. Friends are not assets Samhain, just hindrances. At least now I hope you have learned from your mistakes. Now come along sister we have work to do," he said. I didn't move. After a few moments I felt his footsteps get closer. I didn't move still.

"Not gonna move are you, hmmm? I guess you haven't learned after all," he said. He grabbed my hair and dragged me away from the body. I don't remember this part of this. This never happened. He put some fear sand on me. The spinning started and then the falling yet again.

Obviously Pitch had rigged the mirror. He must be here with me. That part of the memory had never happened. I had gone with him like a delightfully obedient little puppy dog. The idea sickened me.

I looked around me. I was in a lair. Pitch's lair. So many awful memories in this very lair, what one could he possibly be using against me now. I had had such an awful, horrid past. So many years training and living with Pitch. I still loathed myself to this day about those years.

Suddenly 'I heard footsteps. I quickly looked back upon him. He was just the same as I remembered from the early days. This must be just after he found me. Lost, and scared in the woods. I was in the clothes he had given me. I remember now. This was the day he had first brought me in. Tested me. Made sure I was 'the one' as he had told me I was. He had said he had been waiting many centuries for me. Waited so long for his 'sister' to come. To help him take over. To wipe out the guardians. Back then I had been mold-able, easily manipulated. I had just been born after all. I looked at him and he grinned. A sly devilish grin.

"Dear sister, you don't know how long I have been waiting to welcome you into my arms," he said, and then he was beside me. "I still want you you know," he whispered in my ear. I shuddered and looked over but he was gone. Just the memory Pitch was still there.I decided to just to relay the memory and I ran into his arms. He hugged me tight and I held on tight ,wanting to remember this side of Pitch. He had seemed so kind back then but he changed quickly. He let me go and grinned at me.

"Lets start training immediately," he told me. The memory echoed and the blood rushed in my ears. "Ill still take you back," he whispered and then he was only the memory again. He slapped me as I opened my mouth to complain. "I know that youre tired," he cooed, "but training is more important if you are to help me with what I plan," he said as if to a small child. I nodded, my cheek still stinging.

Suddenly that world was dissolving again. I was in the small field we had been using to train back then. He made me manipulate the fear. Mold it to how I wanted it. Sand. I was using it in sand form. I did it wrong though. I had gotten distracted. He hit me. Over and over. Each time I got omething wrong he had hit me. Hit me and told me how worthless, useless and stupid I was. He hurt me until I was broken and bloody, then made me do it again. Again and again. we did it for about an hour.

"I won't make you do this again. You have already mastered the art," he murmured to me from behind, but when I turned to look at him through my swollen shut eyes he wasn't there. The memory saw my distraction. He smacked my face and kicked my stomach with bone shattering force. He broke three rise with just the one beating. He didn't let me stop training until he had to carry me back to the lair.

"You did well little sister," he crooned, as I stared dazedly up at his face. He smiled down at me and took me to my room laying me down on my bed. "We'll start as soon as you are done healing yourself," he said and shut me into the room. He didn't even clean my wounds. He was going to let me bleed out unless I taught myself to heal before it was too late. I realized this was also training. I groaned and started healing. It took days without food or water, being locked in that room but I did it. I healed, but then the process started again.

Months later I had mastered all my skills. I learned quickly under Pitch's guidance. He was proud to say the least.He had also taught me how to hate the guardians. Teaching me everything twisted and warped. Teaching me all the wrong things.I loathed them for what they had done to my brother. My dear brother. He taught me how to make a Nightmare of my own as well. I did and we were perfectly bonded. She was a perfect specimen. I rode her all the time, and soon Pitch made me meet the guardians.

It was a cold day. I was armed as I flew into the field. Pitch was to bring them here after terrorizing some kids. Something I am ashamed to admit, I enjoyed also. I laughed as I glanced around me. The field was barren and empty until Pitch came crashing into its center and the guardians followed. They stopped as Pitch stopped beside me. They stared at me, seeing me for the first time. Pitch placed his hand on my shoulder and I grinned looking up at his proud face. "See Guardians. This is my sister, the one I have been waiting for so long for. The one to help me rule again," he bellowed clenching his hand around my shoulder. I turned my face into a scowl, growling turning my staff back and forth from katana to bow to staff, preparing for a fight.

North made the first move as he bellowed "You wish!" at us and he ran in, swords blazing. I dodged and slashed, fighting neatly, with quick precision the way Pitch had taught me. Back then I had been in practice and young. I didn't quite have side effects then, but now I do. I took slashes and cuts, bruises hits and kicks, and many many injuries that day but I didn't care.

Soon I heard Pitch Bellow "NOW!" and I did as he had instructed me. I set off as much fear as I could possibly muster. All of the guardians fell to the ground screaming in fear, cowering from their worst nightmares. I laughed looking upon their faces. The first to come out of the stupor of fear though, was Sandy. Sandy, the one who could become my greatest enemy or my greatest ally. We could both wield sand, so we were the ones best equipped to either fight, or to help each other.

He whipped some sand at me, I tried to dodge but it hit me full in the face. He entered my mind, looking into all of the stories and memories Pitch had implanted there. The memories he had given me to make me hate the guardians. I could tell Sandy was surprised. I fell to my knees, clenching my head screaming in agony as he went through my head implanting the proper memories. I knew he hated causing me pain, but he knew it was right. I needed to know the truth, and I thank him today for that. Pitch tackled him after a few agonizing minutes of getting past the other guardians, but he was too late. Sandy had replaced all of the memories.

I looked up at Sandy, fearfully and confusedly, and he smiled shaking his head down at me.

"NO!" I screamed and got up, fear in one hand, katana in the other. Why would Pitch have lied to me?! I was his sister! Sandy was just trying to convert me to their side with lies to make Pitch look bad. They knew I was powerful, one of the only few who could defeat Pitch. Everyone backed away from me as tears streamed down my face, tears of anger and confusion and frustration. I turned and ran, Pitch didn't follow.

He found me by my lake later that evening. He sat down beside me, and I looked at him. "Were they true?" I whispered. He shook his head. "Of course not dear sister. Why would I lie to you?" he said carefully, trying not to upset me. I smiled and buried my head in his shoulder as he hugged me. I was comforted, for the time being anyways.

I was dissolving once more. This day I remembered as clear as day. It was the day I had fought against Pitch, and ran away. I had found a journal of his and read it without his knowing. It had proven Sandy right, and had shown that Sandy had downplayed it. Pitch was an awful person, that I did not want a part of any longer. He came into the lair, and I threw the book at his feet. He stared at it and laughed. "Tsk tsk tsk Samhain. Didn't I teach you better. Snooping is bad manners," he said and threw some fear at me, hitting me square in the chest. I felt worse pain than I had ever felt tear right through me and I fell over.

I stood back up though and fought back. Throwing everything I had into this battle, I was determined to win it. I was determined to leave this life. The battle waged for only a few minutes before Pitch was reliving an awful memory. One only long enough for me to run, get a few minutes head start at least. That's what I did. I ran and hit the air the minute I was out of the lair. I made it to the pole before Pitch could possibly catch up. The guardians filled me in from there. They protected me for a while, until my mind was straightened out completely and all my powers were altered to good. That took weeks but eventually I became good and secluded myself. I tried to make myself fade, but it never worked. .

Now I was dissolving again. This was no longer a memory. Pitch was before me and we were both armed. I was wearing the clothes I had chosen to wear after I had left his side. I had my staff and he had his scythe. I growled at him and he laughed. "What do you want with me Pitch?" I asked through clenched teeth. He smiled at me. "All the messages through all these memories. I was there watching you. I want you back dear sister. I want you to help me. I won't have to hurt you anymore, if you only come with me willingly," he said hands clenched behind his back, smiling at me. He broadened his arms and I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him. He did the same to me.

"Never," I whispers and attempted to stab his back. He flung me from his arms, and bellowed, "Have it you're way!" He slashed at me and I slashed at him. I flung a punch at him and he swung his scythe at me. Suddenly a voice came through the memory. It was Jack's.

"Samhain, Samhain please wake up Samhain," he yelled and I looked up. Pitch took the distraction and sent his scythe right through my stomach. I grasped the wound, only feeling the ripping pain go right through me, and again as he ripped it from the wound. I fell grasping the wound and trying to prevent the blood from flowing. I laid down Pitch bent over me. "You will relive your worst nightmares every night until you either defeat me, or join me. You're choice sister," he whispered then he was gone.

I woke up in my room, Jack by my side a puddle of blood surrounding me. Jack held me in his arms shaking me as I bled. I opened my eyes and he stared down at me. I tried to heal, but it wasn't working. "Help," I was able to gasp and he picked me up, now that he was certain I wasn't dead. I was covering him in blood. I groaned as he picked me up and took off in flight. I would have to explain later. I started to slip to sleep and he shook me awake.

"Don't go to sleep now on me Samhain, just wait until we're at the pole," he said. I nodded and forced my eyes open. We made it to the pole and he laid me on a couch. "Just stay awake for now," he said. I nodded and tried, but I was so tired. I had lost so much blood now. I passed out just as the guardians burst into the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same old Same old.... Message/Review/Kudos are all much appreciated :D


	20. Chapter 20

~Jack's POV~

I laid Samhain down as gently as I could and ran to North's office. He stood up quickly as I burst in with wide, wild and fearful eyes.

"Jack? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked quickly. Behind me the other guardians ran through the door, but I said nothing, just waved for North to follow and ran back to Samhain. I had never been more scared. As I entered the room with the others in tow, all I could do was kneel next to her and hold her hand as tightly as I dared. She'd fallen asleep, not good at all. North Kneeled next to me and looked her over. She was paler than normal, limp and still bleeding. At least she was alive, if barely.

"Jack, you need to tell us exactly what happened?" he said carefully and waved Sandy over and they started working on her wounds. Tooth flitted to and fro quickly and worriedly, and I told the whole story. "We need to get him back for this," I muttered darkly watching Samhain’s face. I glanced at North, his brow was furrowed and he was frowning.

"What’s wrong North?" I asked, noticing the confused expression on his face.

He shook his head and kept working. "Her natural healing ability has slowed to the point of being nonexistent, and for some reason nothing Sandy and I have been doing have helped. Even the stitches I tried dissolved. Pitch must have put something on his scythe to make this happen. We can't even get the blood to clot," he muttered. "Jack, put your hands here and press down while Sandy attempts to use his sand to clot it," he said and I moved my hands to where he showed me and applied pressure. He ran out of the room and I watched as even though I was applying as much pressure as I could blood still seeped around my fingers. Tooth rushed over and rolled up my sleeves for me, probably upset she couldn't be much more help. North came back in with a book in his hand.

"Tooth you apply the pressure, and Jack you try to clot the wound with your magic. Sandy use yours to make sure she doesn’t bleed out. Keep renewing her blood supply," he said and we all switched positions. I knew the reason he asked for this was because Sandy used sand and I was a season closer to hers. Our magic was much more similar to hers than Tooth's or North's. Plus I could freeze the blood slowly if absolutely needed. North kept trying to find what kind of poison that had been on the blade that was causing this. I grit my teeth and stopped thinking of that, and instead concentrated on clotting up the wound. Nothing I was trying was working.

I heard North sigh and looked up from what I was doing. He had his finger on one of the pages and as he read it his face got darker and darker. "What did you find?" I asked hurriedly. "It looks like he coated it in a poison called nesanitatem."

~Samhain's POV~

I was walking through the woods. My woods. The woods around my house. I could smell the familiar smell of pumpkins and candy that was so familiar. I started to walk towards the trees a strange feeling going through me, drawing me towards those trees. I barely registered that I was in a black flowing dress and my hair was done up in an intricately braided knot with a golden circlet on my head. It didn't seem important. All that was important at this time was the trees and what was in them. I walked quickly and ducked beneath a branch. I gasped, seeing what was beyond the trees.

There was a small clearing that had never been there before and it was surrounded by darkness. I turned around and ran back to my home. Pitch was standing in front of the door however. I bared my teeth and growled at him. He only laughed.

"Now, now sis don't be rude. Do you know where you are?" He asked. I was about to nod, before I stopped myself. I could tell that this was my home, but it seemed... different. There was a sort of shimmer and a bit of a glow all over the place. I cocked my head and listened. The sounds were much clearer and louder than they would be in reality. The wind felt almost the same, but it had a sort of chill that wasn’t really there. Most of all, it didn't feel the same. I shook my head. Pitch laughed once again.

"Welcome to your own body Samhain. This house is your heart, as it holds everything you have ever kept near and dear to you. The darkness in the trees is the poison coursing through your veins right now. Every second it arrives at a different part of you, every second a new piece of you is infected. You are slowly deteriorating sis, and the only way to stop it is for you to join me. I have the antidote waiting Samhain, I only need your word," he said and I shook my head.

"Never," I whispered.

"Have it your way," he snarled, "You'll surely change your mind when it gets here, for now, so long," he said a bit more calmly, and he waved and disappeared. I sighed, exasperated and pulled out my staff, figuring I would need it, but praying the other guardians would be able to fix this before I would. Either way, I would die before joining Pitch.

~Jack's POV~

"And what is that?" I asked making sure to keep part of my concentration on my task at hand, but but still looking at him and listening.

"It's a health slowing poison. It prevents her from healing, but it also acts as a regular poison and deteriorates her health. It will kill her if we don't get her the antidote," he said carefully reading from the book, "It starts from wherever it entered and slowly moving through the body, killing everything in it's path, saving the heart for last,"he finished, and turned to Tooth. "Tooth, go to her house and grab a pair of shorts and a tank top," he said to her, "We need to change her from what shes in now, to that so we can watch where the poison is. The only downfall with this poison is that as it courses through her veins, we can see it, as it is a very dark color when mixed with blood." Tooth nodded and North sighed as she left.

"Jack you might as well stop. The only thing we can do at this point is to let Sandy keep replenishing her blood supply. There's no way it's gonna clot," he said and I nodded as I walked over to him.

"What are we going to do now? What is the antidote?" I asked worriedly, staring outside to watch for tooth. "If Pitch did this to her, he must have it. You, Tooth Bunny and I are going to go and get it from him," he said shaking his head. "We'll have to pick Bunny up, he was doing something at the warren tonight. I think there was something wrong with the eggs," he said and I nodded. I had been wondering where Bunny was.

"I'm going to go and send him a snow globe actually, get one of the yetis to get him," he muttered and walked off, leaving me to sit with Sandy and hold Samhain's hand. I glanced at the growing pool of blood around her. There was no end to it. Sandy was doing a good job though. His eyes were closed and his hand were flat against her chest in the CPR position. I allowed a faint smile to appear across my lips as I watched. I knew leaving her here with him was the smartest idea.

Just then Bunny appeared through a rabbit hole and looked around carefully. "What in the name of the warren is going on here?" he asked and I explained. His face grew stormier as the tale went on.

At the end of my explanation Tooth came through the door and hurried us out of the room, figuring Samhain would be happier if it was just her changing her clothes. We all agreed. As Tooth did that we stood in the hall and discussed our plans. By the time it was decided, Tooth was done and calling us back in. Samhain was laying on the couch, her tank top rolled up to show off the gaping wound, and her skin was ghostly pale pretty much translucent, and covered in an intricate network of black lines.

"I grabbed the tank top with the lowest neckline to show more of her chest," Tooth said, biting her lip. I nodded. It was the smartest thing to do, we could keep better watch of her heart area this way. I looked at her chest and felt my own heart squeeze, an icy hand clenched it. The veins were much closer to it than we had thought. North swore. "We have one hour, maybe an hour and a half," he said examining it, "but it depends on how hard she fights it."

...

We arrived at his lair as fast as we could. There were nightmares everywhere, but they ignored us. Odd. We crept towards the lair's entrance and went in as quietly as we could.

~Samhain's POV~

I looked around me. The darkness was beginning to close in, if the others didn't help soon, I was done for.

All of a sudden the darkness began to open up and these creatures came out of the dark fog. They were tall, black shadowy creatures with arms that went to their knees, backs that were arched and twisted, and eyeless faces that were grinning evilly. They were covered in intricate swirls and carried swords of their own. I gaped at them all, but slowly turned to my fighting mindset. Obviously, these were poison carriers. I was supposed to fight them off.

The first one ran at me and hacked and slashed. I blocked, and parried and attacked until that one was dead. This happened with all the others, and I was starting to wear down when I heard a hiss in my mind.

"Come on Ssssssamhain, give up, give in, Join ussssss, enter the fog and give in, or asssssk Pitch for hissss mercccy," it hissed and I shook my head.

"Never," I shouted and kept fighting. I heard a shriek of laughter and they attacked with renewed vigor.

Soon, I realized the dress was getting in the way and tore a strip up my leg, to allow better access. It wasn't as if it wasn't covered in tears anyways. My face dripped with sweat and my heart pounded angrily against my ribs. I sent a silent prayer to whomever was listening, that my friend would help soon. I wasn't going to last much longer. The fog was looking more and more inviting.

~Jack's POV~

We crept through the hallways as silently as we could. Nothing jumped out at us, it was strange.

We arrived in the big, main room without difficulty, and found Pitch standing in the center, eyes behind his back and eyes closed. He looked as if he was watching something, and anticipating something else. "Pitch," Tooth shouted, "Give us the antidote!" She screamed and Pitch's eyes opened.

"Ah, ah Toothy, I'm in the middle of watching your dear friend Samhain fighting for her life," he said tutting at us. I felt a growl rip out of my throat. "Oh, feisty aren't you," he said laughing at me, "I told her I would give it to her, but only if she joined me," he said laughing again. I couldn't take it anymore. I ran at him staff raised to strike. He looked at me angrily.

"Now now Frost, I thought it was an excellent bargain," he said deflecting my blow. "I was expecting you though. How much time does my sister have hmm? An hour? Not even?" he said and flung me backwards. I glared at him and felt the other guardians step forwards. "C’mon Frost, that can't be all you have. I figured you would fight more for your girlfriend," he chuckled and we all ran at him.

He deflected our blows with seeming ease. North slashed at his head, while I slashed at his midsection, but he was able to move to the side and duck at the same time. Bunny whipped a boomerang at him and Tooth slashed her sword at him. He deflected and dodged every blow with ease.

Another growl ripped through me and I ran at him. This time, I aimed for the bottle in his hand, instead of his body. He dodged, but barely. "One thing for certain Pitch, Samhain, would never join you," I spat and North moved into position. I flung my staff at his hand one last time and missed, but Tooth flew up behind him and successfully knocked the bottle from his hand, and North caught it. Pitch screamed with rage and turned towards Tooth. Bunny flung a boomerang and hit him in the head, successfully knocking him out.

I backed away, making a run towards the exit. The other guardians only a few feet in front of me. We got on the sleigh and North started flying at top speed. We used a snow globe though, realizing there was no more time.

~Samhain's POV~

I hacked and slashed, ignoring all the jeers and prodding of the poison carriers. I was exhausted and felt heavy with sleep. My heart was pounding, but it was starting to slow. I was having so much difficulty, and I was so tired. I just wanted to curl up on the ground and sleep. I looked around, seeing more carriers exiting the fog. I groaned, knowing there was no hope.

"Stop," I screamed and they did, their evil grins growing wider. I shook my head. "I will not join you Pitch, I vowed to die before I did so again," I yelled and walked slowly to the fog, reaching out to touch it.

~Jack POV~

I burst through the room and kneeled next to Samhain. Her pulse had slowed, and the lines around her heart area. I looked wide eyed at it, and North kneeled next to me. He took out a needle and drew out some of the antidote, and plunged it straight to her heart. I watched as the lines began fading. Sandy opened his eyes and smiled as the veins went away. "She'll be able to heal that, but we need to stitch it," North said. "She needs to be awake to heal it completely," he explained as I looked at him quizzically. I nodded and held the wound closed while he applied the stitching. I smiled in relief as the stitches didn't dissolve this time. She was going to be OK.

~Samhain's POV~

I brushed my fingers against the fog, but as soon as I did, it closed up, and backed away from me. I watched confusedly, but then understood as I heard one of the carriers shriek with what seemed to be rage. I grinned and whooped. The carriers turned to dust all around me, and the dust was blown away. The guardians had succeeded. I banished my staff and sat down. They'd done it. I stood up and walked towards my house, my heart and walked in. I flopped on the bed and fell asleep immediately.

~Jack's POV~

North sighed with a grin and stood up. "That should do it, she should wake up within a few days," he said and I nodded. That didn't surprise me. She would be exhausted, and who knows how long it will take for the poison to fully leave her system.

I glanced around at all the blood, and shook my head. I raised my hand over it and froze it. "Now all we have to do is take it outside or let it melt down a drain, or something," I said shrugging. It would be easier to move it when it was frozen. North nodded and we all set to work, putting it in a bath tub upstairs that no one used. We never would now anyways.

When we were done we walked back down the stairs and looked at Samhain. She was still pale, but the black lines around her heart area were gone. "She will have to have the antidote injected into her twice every day until she wakes up and can fully heal herself," North said looking down at her. I nodded and picked her up, not caring about the blood that got on me. "I'm going to put her in one of the spare rooms," I said. Tooth shook her head. "Let me change her clothes first. I grabbed a second pair of shorts and shirt while I was at her house," she said and I nodded, putting her back down.

We left the room and looked at each other. Sandy made a question mark appear over his head and we filled him in on our side of the story. When we were done he nodded and signed that he was going home to rest. We nodded and he left. After that Tooth came out of the other room and I walked back in and picked Samhain up, and carried her upstairs. It was going to be a long few days, but at least she was ok. I laid her on the bed and sat down next to it, holding her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes from the author
> 
> 1) The word Nesanitatem is actually the words 'Ne' and 'Sanitatem" which when put together (not in a single word) makes 'health prevention' in Latin. At least, it does on google translate. Please, feel free to correct me if google lied to me XD
> 
> 2) The reason Samhain was dressed the way she was in her mind was supposed to show that she was the queen of her own mind so to speak, to show she was ruler of her body and that nothing would happen if she didn't give her say so. It also shows that she is the most powerful person within her own body.
> 
> Comments/reviews/kudos are much appreciated!  
> You guys getting tired of me yet? lol


	21. Chapter 21

I woke up feeling as if the light above me was stabbing me right through the skull. My body was heavy and my head throbbed as I quickly shut my eyes against the blinding light. I groaned and tried to roll over, but my body felt to heavy. I opened my eyes again, this time just blinking against the light. After a few seconds I was able to look around. I was in one of North's spare rooms and Jack was sitting in a chair next to me. I smiled when I realized he was sleeping and stayed quiet, just watching. It may seem a bit creepy, but he was cute when he slept. He reminded me of a puppy.

I then looked around some more and saw water on my bed stand and I realized just how thirst I was. I reached for it. I gasped as a sudden sharp pain went through my side. I grabbed it and Jack woke up due to the gasp and sharp movement. He leaped up and looked worriedly down at me. Passing me the water I had been reaching for. He passed the glass, and with my free hand (and his help) I grabbed it and downed it all.

"Hey," I said smiling as I started healing my wound.

"Hey," Jack said, smiling a bit. A warm sensation went through me and I smiled wider and relaxed a bit more. The pain was easing off and I could feel the wound closing. "How are you feeling?" He asked me.

"Better. How long was I out?"

"Three days, which is pretty quick considering how close you were to dying," he said tightly. I nodded, but then realization hit me. "How are-?"

"Audentia and Licorice are fine," he said holding up his hand and effectively cutting me off. I nodded and looked gratefully at him.

"What happened while I was out?" I asked, worriedly after a few minutes of silence. I was afraid of the answer, but I also needed to know.

"Not much. You came pretty close to dying, but that's about the only big thing and you already knew that. I've been up here with you, giving you your medication and making sure you didn't spontaneously die, but there was little chance of that..." he trailed off there, "Sorry. I was rambling. Pitch hasn't shown up since our fight but that doesn't surprise me. Things have been pretty normal," he finished, standing up. He walked over towards the door and then looked back at me. "I have to tell them your awake and while I'm gone I'll grab you some more water," he said and then he flew off.

I huffed and sat up. wincing a bit as my stiff muscles stretched. Three whole days I had been out. That sounded like a long time, but I was lucky. I had trained with Pitch on that particular poison, and I had come so close to dying, and I could have been out a lot longer.

I whipped the blankets off of me and tried to stand up, only earning a one way ticket to the floor. I hit it with a thump and a groan. My legs were sleep, my muscles weren't ready for that, and of course the dizziness that always came with waking up and doing too much too soon. I groaned and rolled over, spying Jack running into the room and to my side. He helped me up, glaring daggers at me.

"Sorry. Got over excited," I said sheepishly. He rolled his eyes. The rest of the guardians came into the room and I waved at them. They looked worriedly at me and I looked at the floor.

"How you feeling Samhain?" Tooth asked when I was sitting on the bed again.

"Better. I just finished healing. I just got over excited. I wanted to see you guys, thus the reason I was on the floor," I said looking down. I heard a chuckle, and looking up it was North. He grinned at me and shook his head. "Only you Samhain, would get over excited and end up on the floor."

"I never said I was graceful."

~~~~

About half an hour later, they left, except for Jack of course. He had relaxed some more as we all joked around and talked to each other; but now that the other guardians were gone he was tense again. He walked over and held out his arms to me. "I can tell you want to get up, so at least let me help you," he said. I nodded and grabbed his arms. He eased me up and on my feet, holding tight until the dizziness subsided. I smiled at him and he let go.

"Can you walk without falling over?" he teased. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Y'know you worry to much. The wound is gone, I just have sore as all hell muscles."

He rolled his eyes. "One can never worry too much,"he said and I rolled my eyes. I stretched my wings out fully now and groaned stretching the rest of me with them. It felt amazing, but my muscles ached when I relaxed again. They would for a bit, but I would have to work them to get them to stop.  
"Come on, lets go for a fly around," I said smiling at him. He scowled at me. "We won't go too high, I just need to work the muscles," I said rolling my eyes. He smiled and nodded. "Sounds alright to me," he said and raced to the window. I walked a bit slower, but leaped from the window, laughing as I felt the air in my face, gently gliding over my wings and through my hair. One of the best feelings in the world was being airborne and this time was no exception.

We ended up gliding until we were just outside of Burgess. I stopped suddenly, landing lightly on my feet. Jack meant to say something, but I held up a hand shushing him. "Something's wrong," was all I said before racing off. The air was thick with fear, and it all led to one spot. Jamie's house. I could tell Jack was right behind me as I raced towards it. The house was dark, and the door was open wide. I sprinted inside and called out, "Jamie!?" No answer. Jack's eyes were wide with fear as he ran around searching the house for any sign of anyone. Only the children's mother was there, and she was sitting on the floor sobbing, a phone clutched in her hand and to her ear. "Yes, I got home from the store and they were gone. There was a note, but it's addressed to a sister, and I have no siblings and Jamie and Sophie are both gone. I have no other kids," she sobbed out to whoever was on the other end of the line. I felt my face pale. This could only mean one thing. Pitch. Jack and I bolted around the house searching for the note. It was on the floor of Jamie's room. I picked it up and scanned my eyes over it, feeling nauseous at the words.

_Dearest sister,_

_I see you survived again. Pity. I honestly thought that one would work. I guess it's time for extreme measures now. Meet me at the old meeting place at midnight, sharp if you have any hope of saving these children._

_Ta ta._

I dropped the note back down and glanced at the clock beside the bed. I had ten minutes to get to the old spot. Jack put his hand on my shoulder and I whirled around to face him. His face was grim, no trace of his usual sarcastic and gleeful expression. 

"If you go, I go," he said. I shook my head.

"No. He'll expect it," I said carefully, shaking my head. 

"I don't care. I'm going."

I shook my head. "I said no. I'm sorry," I whispered and placed my hand on his head, doing the worst thing I could think of. I made his worst fears come to the front of his mind. It would keep him occupied long enough for me to save the kids. I then turned tail and left. 

~~~

I flew to the tree. It was a big oak tree, only a mile from my house. It was where Pitch had first found me and taken me under his wing. It sickened me to be here. Jamie and Sophie were sitting on the ground, bound and gagged. I went to run to them, but Pitch popped into existence in front of them. "Uh uh little sis. You know I wouldn't make it that easy for you. Where would the fun be in that," he asked grinning a condescending grin. I snarled and whipped out my staff, already in a fighting stance.

"Now now samhain, I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said, tracing a finger down Jamie's cheek. I reluctantly straightened myself and put my staff away.

"Good girl!" He said happily, "Now. We can do this one way or the other. You can join me, and the kids can be let go, or you can resist and these two will die," he said wickedly. I glared at him and nodded. "Let them go first," was all I said and he nodded, going to the ropes. "Take this first," he said tossing me a pill. I glanced at him, raising my eyebrow at him. "It will simply prevent you from going back on your word. You try to resist in any way after these two are released, your heart will stop," he said. I nodded, and clutched the tablet. I raised it to my lips when I heard a shout. 

"Samhain, no!" It screamed. It was Jack, crashing through the brush to my left. I didn't ono how he found me, and I didn't care. I blinked back tears and again whispered, "I'm so sorry," and I swallowed the pill. "Jack, take the kids to safety," I said, and Pitch untied them. Jamie ripped off his gag and looked at Jack with confused eyes. He couldn't see me.

"How could you!?" Jack yelled. I looked away. He ran to me and shook me. "How could you?" he said a bit more quietly. I knew he was mad. "Just get them to safety," I said and hugged him. "The pill was night seed," I whispered in his ear, too quiet for Pitch to hear me. I figured he would tell North, and they would help me. I knew night seed. I couldn't get out of it. I had taken it, and now I was screwed, unless I got help. I released Jack from the hug. "I love you," I whispered and he nodded, "I love you too," and then he ran and picked up Sophie and Jamie before taking off in flight. When he was gone I turned to Pitch, who was holding out his hand. 

"Come along sister. Time to get back to your real life," he said and I gripped his hand, and we vanished.

~~~

We were in a lair I had never seen. It was old, dusty and disgusting. 

"Where are we?"

"My first lair. Haven't been here in a long time. It's nice and secluded. They won't find you. Not until I want them too anyways." I sighed and shook my head, holding the tears that wanted to fall back.

"Now have a seat." I sat and looked at him. 

"This time, I want you to show me your memories. All of them." 

I knew resistance was futile, and I showed them to him. We were there for hours. When we were done, I was released from the memory of tree. 

"Sorry sis, this has to be done," he said and I felt a horrid pain in the back of my skull, right before everything went black.

~~~

"Jack, who were you talking to back there?" Jamie asked tentatively as he was being placed in front of the Burgess police station. Jack had already made it clear to both Jamie and Sophie (the latter was a bit harder to make understand!) that they were to tell that they hadn't seen the people who took them. They had been knocked out in their sleep, and had woken up in the back of a truck, under a cover. They had proceeded to jump out of the truck and hadn't gotten a good look at it, as it was too dark. They couldn't tell the police anything to go on. They didn't see the truck, the attacker and they didn't know where they had been headed.

"Jack looked sadly down at him. "A girl named Samhain. She is another guardian, she is the guardian of courage, Pitch's sister, but most importantly my girlfriend," he said in explanation. Jamie nodded. 

"Bet you didn't know there was a spirit of Halloween," Jack said as a joke and Jamie looked at him startled. 

"No, I didn't, but that's awesome! Especially since she's the opposite of the boogie man, but they're siblings!" he said excitedly. Jack smiled, a sad smile, but a smile none the less.

"OK Jamie. I have to go. I have to get her back," Jack said leaving the kids. They knew the drill, and he wanted to find Samhain as soon as possible.

~~~

I woke up confused. Why was I in these clothes. How did I get to the lair? Why did I feel so wrong? The last thing I could remember was going on one of Pitch's missions. The guardians had ambushed me, and tried to stop me. All I had been doing was making some kids afraid! No big deal! But they had tried to kill me!

"Sis! You're alright!" I heard Pitch exclaim from the other side of the room, before walking casually over to me. I sat up and clutched my head. It was pounding. 

"Yeah I'm fine. What happened?"

"You were collecting fear for me when the guardians got to you. A battle ensued and you were stabbed. I brought you back here."

I nodded. It made sense.

How had I screwed up so badly as to get caught though? I couldn't remember and I didn't care. There was only one thing I cared about now. "Who stabbed me?"

"Jack. Jack Frost," Pitch replied, an evil glint in his eye. That name, it tugged at something inside, but I ignored it. It could only mean one thing.

"Then I must kill Frost," I said shrugging and standing up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry guys! I haven't updated in so long! I was super busy with school, and still am now that I have more exams coming up! I promise I won't take as long to get the next one up though! It's almost summer vacation, so I should have more time!


	22. Chapter 22

Pitch laughed. "Are you sure you're up for that sister. He is young, and very much like you. Are you sure you can handle it?" He asked mockingly. I glowered at him growling a bit.  
"Don't worry sis, it was a simple joke," he said, "Why don't you change out of that wretched outfit. You look horrible," he said and I nodded. I didn't remember changing into these clothes, or why I had, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to get back into my normal attire. I walked up the familiar steps, looking for my room. I grinned and burst through the door, smiling at the familiar jars of experimental concentrated sand, and the jars of wonder and frost, the jars of teeth and the jars of dream sand. I had been looking for new weapons against the guardians. 

I ran to my bed and immediately picked up the black leather pants, boots and the black T-shirt and black coat. All of them were black as night and were excellent camouflage for late night missions. I changed quickly, and grabbed my staff. I would kill Frost tonight. No matter what.

~~~

Jack rushed through the doors to North's workshop rage boiling within him. How dare Samhain do that? He had trusted her! He didn't even care that she had tried to use his fears against him. It hadn't worked, as his worst fear was happening around him at that moment. Losing her.

"Jack?! What happened?" Tooth said carefully, looking at his angry and pained face. 

"Pitch got her again. I couldn't stop it!" He said, punching the wall. 

"Samhain? Again? How did he do it this time?"

"He used her 'saving people thing' against her. He kidnapped Jamie and Sophie. Threatened to kill them. She went willingly, but she had to take a pill. The kids are safe, but she isn't. She's with him and she took something called 'Nightseed'. Apparently if she resists it, it will kill her, we need to find an antidote, now! Who knows what he's doing to her?!" he said in a rush, but Tooth looked downwards. 

"What? What is it Tooth? What's wrong?" he said worriedly. She shook her head.

"The thing with Nightseed Jack, is that there is very little we can do. We have to make her willing to take the antidote, and even then it's only a 50/50 chance it won't kill her," North said as he walked in. Tooth nodded. They had all seen it happen, to many spirits. There was a reason it was outlawed so long ago. It was barely spoken of anymore.

Jack punched the wall again, splitting his knuckles open. Why? Why did it have to be her? Why did he have to take her from him, over and over again? And why did she have to be so stupid to fall for it time and time again?

"I'm sorry Jack," North said placing his hand on his shoulder.

"We have to try. I know she would rather die than be stuck with him for eternity. She would want the chance," he said, certain. North nodded. 

"Then here is what we must do...." he said and pulled a book from the shelf, and flipping to the right page.

~~~

I flew through the air. Pitch had offered me a nightmare but I had refused. They would see it coming from a mile away. No, this had to be me, and me alone. No nightmares. No Pitch. Just me. 

Jack Frost. The name tore at something in my chest. I didn't know why, it just did. It was probably just how much I absolutely hated him. He had tried to kill me! Of course I hated him. I snarled at the ground. Pitch wouldn't lie to me, he was my brother. Maybe when I was done he would take me out to terrorize some kids. That would be fun. I smiled at the thought, and tried to figure out which kid. I knew just the one. That Alex Bennett. She had always been fun to scare. I laughed and looked at the changing scenery below me. The pole would be where Frost is. If he was a guardian he would be there, or Burgess. That is where I had seen him first. He didn't seem like a bad guy back then, but I guess people change.

I arrived at the pole, and creeped around the windows. The group of guardians were sitting around a table, plotting. Probably against my brother. I felt rage. How dare they? All he wanted was to have our version of fun! To be believed in, like those pesky guardians. We had been invisible for too long. 

Memories began to come back to me. I remembered killing a little boy and being praised by Pitch. I felt Joy.

I remembered fighting Sandy. He showed me fake images of Pitch. He had lied. Pitch loved me, he told the truth.

The guardians tried to get me on their side, I refused and the captured me. Many times, but Pitch always saved me.

I remembered changing into the hideous clothes to sneak around in on Halloween. Terrorize kids, making them think I was just a regular girl. Jack had attacked me soon after. I remembered the stabbing and I was filled with a bloodlust like no other. 

I shook my head, clearing it of the memories and looked back in the window. The guardians were pulling out jars of things. Tooth had a box, with my picture on it. I felt a pang. I didn't remember my childhood. Maybe I could steal that later, and find out about it. North had a glass jug of red liquid. Jack had a jar of white powder, Bunny had an egg, and Sandy had sand. I watched on, curious to see what they were doing, opening the window a bit to listen in...

~~~

"Are you sure this will work North?" Jack asked looking at the jar in his hands.

"Yes.Nightseed is a chemical that reacts with specific thoughts. This allows it to prevent anything the creator of the specific batch of it wants it to prevent. It also helps with memory alterations. Tooth has her memories. They will break any memory blocks Pitch would put on her. My wonder here, will make her curious enough to fully see any memory alterations. Bunny's egg will allow her to accept that it is a new beginning for her mind. Your frost there will hopefully unlock strong feelings and allow them to remember the feelings she actually has on us. If my guess is correct, Pitch probably made her hate us. Sandy's sand will hopefully make this a little more adaptable to her, as she is also a sand wielder," North explained. Jack nodded. It all made sense, he was just really anxious. They all put their items into the big bowl on the table, and it began to glow a faint blue. Jack watched it, and bit his lip. 

"How long will this take to be ready? How are we going to make her take it willingly?"

North pondered that a moment. "I don't know. We will just have to go with it," he sighed, shaking his head. I wanted to punch the wall again, but I didn't. "As for your other question, it will take about 1 day to finish. Hopefully we will have abetter plan by then," he said and they all nodded. They all looked at each other solemnly. Even Bunny, who hand't trusted Samhain the longest, was grim.

Suddenly there was a crash, and they all whirled around weapons drawn.

~~~

"Plotting against me and my brother are you?" I screamed, katana at the ready. "Tried to kill me huh, Frost? Couldn't bare the thought of being beaten by a girl? Couldn't bare your precious kids being a little afraid?" I said angrily, eyes blazing with my bloodlust. "I bet you're disappointed huh Frost? Pitch saved me, I didn't die from your little stab to the guts!"

Jack looked at me sadly. "No Samhain, you're wrong," he whispered, pulling out his staff. 

I spat at him. "Asshole," I screamed and charged. 

I grabbed the bowl of ingredients on the table. "What's this?!" I yelled, my voice like ice, "Something to turn me against my own family?" I said a bit quieter. My eyes glinted and I released the bowl, letting it drop to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah! sorry it's short, I just wanted to get this idea down before it flew from my mind! thanks for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who is still here! I'm thankful to you all!
> 
> THERE IS MORE SWEARING THAN NORMAL IN THIS ONE, READERS BEWARE

The bowl dropped and I laughed, my eyes shut listening to the gasps of the guardians. I looked down at the mess below me, but my smile quickly faded. Where had it gone? I couldn't see it anywhere. I howled with rage, the instinct to kill rearing it's head and I grinned, my staff already a katana. 

"Stay out of this," I roared at the other guardians, "This is between Frost and I!" Something felt very wrong to me, my insides were churning but I ignored it. It was probably pain from where Frost had plunged a knife. I shrieked my rage and charged at Frost, sword flying at him. His expression was sad, his eyes empty. He shook his head. "Samhain this isn't you!" He cried and parried my blow. I howled again and continued hacking and slashing at him. "This isn't you!" He yelled again. I didn't care, all I could see was him through a red mist over my vision. This was the bloodlust I had always loved so much. I laughed and aimed a final blow at his heart, before something very big, and very heavy landed on me. I howled with rage squirming out from under the object. Well, it wasn't an object, it was North. 

His face was angry. "There is no more negotiations Jack, she is an enemy," he said, his accent even thicker with emotion. He had his swords out, and he charged at me. I cackled and began to hack and slash at him. Our fighting styles so different, but so similar. I knew his moves and he knew mine. Almost as if we had fought together before, but that was impossible. I hated the guardians. I felt a ripping pain go across my back, and I screamed again, before whipping around at the new threat, my eyes on fire with malice. Sandy was there, his eyes sad, but his stance steady. He cracked his whips and I had to dodge. I very nearly got hit by one, but fumbled when a boomerang hit the back of my head. 

"I told you all we couldn't trust her!" Bunnymund said his voice sad and angry at the same time. He threw boomerangs and I cackled as I dodged him Sandy, Jack and North's, and ben Tooth's blows. 

"Please Samhain, stop this, it's us!" she cried out, and I cackled again. "Yeah I know it's you! Why do you think I'm here!?" I shrieked and continued fighting to the best of my abilities. Sweat ran down my face and I grinned, malice alive in my features. I loved fighting, I loved the thrill of a fight, the adrenaline that coursed through my veins. This is what I had been chosen by the man in the moon to do. To defeat the guardians, to join Pitch, to be a weapon. I accepted that a long time ago. 

"Please Samhain, you know this isn't right!" Jack yelled. I laughed again, this was too funny. I loved this! I just hated killing people, that was where I drew the line, unless it was deserved. Like Frost's death for example. Speaking of Frost, he had just fumbled. Now was my chance! I lunged at him, katana going straight to his heart, until two huge arms wrapped around me. I kicked at the being and squirmed, screaming blue bloody murder, but he didn't drop me. 

"Thanks Phil," North said with a grin, and Phil grunted behind me. I kept squirming until I couldn't squirm anymore. When I had calmed down, Phil put me in a chair, and held me there, while North and Tooth tied me down. I howled, and strained against the bonded ropes around my legs and arms and back. It wasn't fair. 

I glared at all of them, anger keeping me going. "I will kill fucking all of you!" I shrieked, a cloud of fear forming above my head. I grinned and sent it flying at Frost. It hit him square in the face, but it did nothing. I growled and did it again, only to receive the same result. He looked sadly at me, and I bowed my head, my hair now loose of my braid, fell around my face as I panted. I flung a cloud of fear straight at Tooth's head who fell to the ground screaming. Hm. The fear still worked, just not on Frost. I wonder why that is? I looked at him, my smile still present on my face. 

"Sooo, must be fearless huh? I wonder why that is?" I asked mockingly, "What's your worst nightmare Frost? Maybe it's choosing a side? I bet you only did it to screw her," I said looking pointedly at the quivering heap that was Toothiana. A sharp punch landed on my jaw, but I just chuckled. "That only proves it you know," I drawled flexing my mouth. Frost glared at me, but I could see guilt and anger and sadness all present in his eyes. I laughed and closed my eyes. 

"Hmm," I said thoughtfully, "What will you do with me now? Bargaining chip? Kill me? I must say, at this point the latter sounds just fine," I said shrugging, but not kidding. "If you don't Pitch probably will come pretty close," I knew he wouldn't actually kill me, just beat me for failing. It would taint his image, but I needed to learn. He only did it because he loved me, and wanted to protect me from threats. He was my brother, and that's how he was acting. 

"We won't kill you Samhain, that's not what we do," Frost said and I snorted, "Then what do you call stabbing me in the stomach, huh? I think that sounds deadly!" I yelled. Frost shook his head. 

"I didn't do that!"

"Then why was I unconscious with Pitch? I don't get knocked out if my wounds aren't serious! I'm pretty fucking pain tolerant, and besides, I have the scar to prove it! Go ahead Frost, take a look, it's quite a nice scar," I said angrily.

Frost shook his head. "It wasn't me Samhain," he said angrily. I spat at him. 

"Fucking liar," I said and tried to throw more potent fear at him. Still no effect. I closed my eyes and hung my head. They all left soon after.

~~~

Jack was angry. How could Pitch do this? That wasn't the woman he loved in there, that was a monster in her skin. He shook his head and stormed out of the room, followed closely by the other guardians. 

"Jack?" Tooth said gently, placing her hand on his shoulder. Her hand was cold and clammy, probably from her nightmare, "She isn't right in the head Jack. Pitch must have stabbed her, made the wound, done something. He obviously did something to her memories of us," she said in a rush, trying to make her friend feel better. Jack nodded. 

"I know Tooth, I know. North, is this what she was like, before, when she was with Pitch originally?" he asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer. North nodded.

"Yes Jack, this is what Pitch created. She gained her conscience a few decades in, but it looks like Pitch turned her psyche back even farther," he said sadly, looking into Jack's eyes. Jack clenched his jaw, nodding. He didn't care. This was Samhain, she used to be like this, she had changed, and he knew that. He just needed to get her back. Bunnymund rolled his eyes. 

"When we fix her, we need to prevent this from happening again. Pitch knows her, and her weak points. We need to prevent him from making her go through this again, I think we'll need to eliminate him after we get her back. At least weaken him enough to go into hiding," he said, looking t each guardian in the eyes while he made his speech. They all nodded.

"Yes, you're right Bunny," Jack said seriously, "but right now someone has to watch her. Seeing as the fear sand doesn't work on me, I'll do it," he said carefully. The other guardians shook their heads. 

"Don't do this Jack, don't torture yourself like this," Tooth said quietly, but he shook his head. 

"It's only logical, you all know it," he said and brushed past them all, and entered the room where the woman he loved sat. 

~~~

"Back so soon Freezer burn?" I asked mockingly. He just shook his head and sat in a chair across from me. 

"What your little fuck buddy tell you to guard little old me? Cowards aren't they?" I asked chortling. Jack shook his head. I cocked my head at him.

"Aw is little Frosty in a bad wittle mood?" I asked innocently, trying to get a rise out of him, "Y'know you must mean very little to them if they stuck you in here with wittle old me. North used to cower in his boots at the sight of me," I said laughing, remembering the times North would have to back down, simply because I was determined. I felt no pain, it was difficult to make me tired, I was a machine. For some reason though, I had been defeated today. It was so unlike me, Pitch would throw a fit. I had been looking forward to scaring kids tonight, that wouldn't happen now. "Pitch would never leave me to guard someone all by myself," I said thoughtfully, "You could join us y'know, fear and frost, could make a good team," I said half to myself, "Oh wait! You tried to kill me! That'll never work!" I finished, saying my words with a sickly sweet voice, spitting on his feet. 

"Why don't you people just fucking kill me? Huh? Cowards!" I shrieked, a tear threatening to pour from my eye. I strained against the ropes, angry with myself. I almost felt guilty all of a sudden for what I had said to Frost. Almost. "Please Frost, just let me go!" I screamed, resisting more. Frost shook his head. 

"Sorry Samhain, I can't do that!"

"I will fucking kill you, you bitch!"

~~~

Jack wanted to cry. This girl didn't even look the girl he had come to know. She had her teeth barren, eyes wild with burning rage, her hair was wild and falling out of her braid as she struggled so hard her wrists were bleeding and she was knocking out her breath. He stared at the floor, and flicked his staff at her, freezing her bonds so that they wouldn't move. Maybe the cold would soothe her hands as well. She may not be acting like her, but he still loved her. She may be hurling insults, and threatening to kill him, but it was still Samhain and she was just sick. That's all there was to it. He glanced up at her, she had fallen asleep as blood dripped down her hands, and stained the ropes. He felt sick looking at her like this. She had really been like this? It seemed unbelievable to him. She had been so different as a young spirit, but then again, she had been raised that way. 

He only hoped that the antidote was OK. That elf had caught the bowl before it hit the ground, saving the antidote inside. He smiled sadly. The only question now, was how they would get her to drink it, willingly?


	24. Chapter 24

"Why can't you just let me go or kill me for goodness sakes? It's been hours Frost, and I must say, I'm getting very, very bored" I said exhasperatedly. He didn't grace me with an answer. I glared at him, my throat too sore to scream at him any longer. Pitch was probably looking for me now, but I dreaded when he found me. He would kill Frost, and I would be punished for my failure. I tried to break my bonds again, but my wrists were so worn now that there was probably bone in some places. I had tried for hours to break through them but North must have made them, my fear wouldn't cut through them. My healing wouldn't work either, I guess North had made them specifically for me. I wondered why, but it didn't matter. 

"Can you at least let me use the washroom?" I asked innocently, "My wrists may or may not get infected if I don't wash them, and I seriously need to pee," he shook his head.

"Sorry Samhain, I can't do that, I have to follow orders," he said quietly and I tried to shriek at him, but it only came out in a shrill squeaking noise that was unpleasant even to me. Needless to say, I stopped it quickly. I was so angry, and very very confused. You would think that any guardian in their right mind would kill a fear wielder in any second flat, but they weren't killing me. Why? I felt a nagging at the back of my mind, but I ignored it. It was probably nothing. I shook my head to clear away the sensation and watch Frost begin to pace.

"Can I at least know how long I've been sitting here?" I asked angrily. There was no point in acting kind anymore. I was pissed.

"12 hours, give or take, you've got another 12 so I would suggest, sitting back and relaxing," he said curtly. 12 hours?! And 12 hours more!? I couldn't do that, no way in hell. I struggled harder against the bonds, screaming like a wild woman. It was amazing how much pain one could ignore when she wanted to kill, when the adrenaline was pumping through her veins. Then I fell silent, just staring at the wall in front of me, before laughing quite hard. "Y'know Frost bite, we could have been friends I think. you seem like a good enough kid, too bad you're such a fucking prick!" I then fell silent. I could tell just by looking through the hair that had come loose and was hanging in front of my face, that my words had hurt him. I didn't know why, they were just the truth. I had never liked him, he was a good kid, but if he had just joined us, then maybe he could be a friend.

I shook my head making more hair come loose. I knew by now my eyes must be glowing. They would do that on occasion, glow blue when I was angry or upset, insanity setting in. My throat hurt from the screaming, and I knew it was raw from the blood I could taste. No more screaming, no more speaking. It hurt too much. Frost was staring at me, and I grinned evilly back. Pitch would come for me. I was his sister, he loved me.

~~~

The next twelve hours wore on, and on and on. they felt like an eternity. An eternity of silence, of glaring and of Frost looking sad. Honestly, it was boring, and I was thirsty. So thirsty and so hungry. They hadn't given me anything, but I wouldn't take anything. No, I refused. They would poison me, I just knew it.

North came in then and I grinned wickedly at him, thinking of all the insults I could. How I wished to same them out loud. He nodded to Frost who in turn walked to my side. he looked down pityingly and injected something into my arm. I wanted to yelp but my raw throat prevented it. I watched through the corner of my eye as he plunged the light purple liquid into my right arm, North looking on just as sadly as Frost looked. 

"Now Samhain, we do have an antidote," North said quietly looking at me, "All you have to do is nod and let us inject you with it."

I looked at him with deep confusion. Why would they inject me with a poison, then allow me to be healed? There had to be an ulterior motive to this. I shook my head, whimpering as whatever it was, burned through my arm. It hurt, but I knew they wouldn't kill me, they couldn't kill me, not yet anyways. I sat in silence, whimpering as they pain spread, the liquid running through my veins. It acted quickly and the pain got more and more intense with it. Soon, it didn't matter how raw my throat was, I had to scream swearing to relieve the pain, even just a little bit. It didn't help. 

Time was blurring together for me. I knew I hadn't been here for as long as it felt, but it felt like years. Soon enough, I was nodding. This wasn't something to kill me, it was something to make me submit. They kept injecting into me. I was there for hours, it may have even been days, yelling and breaking bit by bit. Pitch didn't matter now, all I wanted was for the pain to end. Frost pulled out a cup, this time full of black. He looked at my face. It was pale, sleep deprived with bags under my eyes and looked angry. He tipped my head back, and poured the liquid in. I swallowed it, but the pain intensified. It burned all the way down, and then when it hit my stomach. I felt like I was imploding. I curled in on myself as far as I could with the restraints. The pain from my stomach spread, as if a knife was dragging s deep trail along my body. It spread up up up. Up to my brain, where it intensified more. It felt as if someone had reached into my head and was pawing around with sharp, hot knives. I screamed and shut my eyes tightly. Something was wrong. Memories were pooling, and they weren't good ones. I saw the entire fight against Pitch. all of my years that I lived alone. All of my time, being friends with Jack, all of the time I had helped children, finding my centre, killing that boy, all of the memories Pitch had tried to lock away. Everything. It went on for hours. All of my memories came to the front of my mind, screaming at me for ignoring them. All of the bad, all of the good. 

About four hours of horrible agony later, I fell asleep.

~~~

Jack looked on with anger, and sympathy. This was the woman he loved, and he could only watch as she screamed. He could see the agony in her eyes as he watched, until she closed them tightly. Her knuckles whitened as she held onto the chair. He had known this wouldn't be a fun process for her. Emotions were one thing, easy to lock and unlock within the mind. Memories though, were a whole other thing. He wanted to hold her hand, but he couldn't bring himself to, he was so afraid of hurting her more. He sat, for the full four hours, torturing himself. If she had to suffer, so did he. This was the girl he loved, and it was the least he could do, especially since he had put her through most of the torture.

When she fell asleep, he breathed a sigh of relief. She would be fine now, he knew it. He gently undid the ropes on her hands and legs, and picking her up to lay on the couch across the room. She had been in the room for days, resisting the antidote. She had done well, even if it was for Pitch. He looked down at her. he had been frightened of her while she struggled. She had looked insane, and he knew it was because she had been trained to be. Pitch had warped her mind back then and he didn't care. He looked at how raw her hands were from gigging into the ropes. He could see bone in some places. He shuddered, and held her hand, knowing they would heal of their own accord. That was the beauty of having her ability.

He held her hand, rubbing small circles into the back of it. She would wake up soon.

~~~

I woke up a long while later. I was still exhausted, even when I woke up. I was too angry to care though. I woke up, feeling Jack's hand in mine. There was no more pain, I had healed in my sleep thank the moon. I sat up slowly and looked around. Everything had been cleaned up, and I was thankful. That wasn't something I wanted to live through again. I smiled at Jack and hugged him.

"Thank you," was all I muttered in his ear, and he just hugged me tighter. We were both relieved that I was back, but I was angry. No more fooling around. Now was the time we hunted Pitch, and destroyed him once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you liked it or not! I love opinions that could help me improve!
> 
> Sorry it took so long to update, and again, sorry it's short. My next chapter(s) will be much longer, as this fix is soon to end, I hope!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave reviews! Good or Bad I love them all :) Please don't hate me for this, it's my first fic that I actually tried on


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